Prize of Victory 2
by Nova Alexandria
Summary: The Defence Net, which held the swarm back for 5 years, has now fallen and war has once more returned. Karin/Grimmjow, Orihime/Ulquiorra, and several other Con with some N/C relationships. Warnings vary by couple. Part 2: Anal, Angst, BDSM, D/s, Dom, Humil, M/F, M/M, M/s, MCD, MiCD, Oral, Preg, N/C, S&M, Slave, Tort, Violence (Darker content has been edited out, see inside note)
1. Chapter 1

Note: This is Part 2 and you should really, really read Part 1 or you will be completely clueless as to what is going on here. I would also recommend reading my wonderful Beta's story Consolation Prize (of Victory) which can be found on Adultfan only (rampant amount of sex occurs) and covers the five year time skip from the view point of Renji. Events in that story will be referenced.

This story takes place 5 years after the end of Part 1 so it has now been 15 years since Aizen ascended the throne. There are no planned time skips in this one and should wrap up in no longer than 3-4 months story time (not real time)…. Hopefully. I am really trying to push the story along without given it a rushed feeling. It's a hard balance.

Time

"Good afternoon, my dear Espada. Another year has passed us by and once more we celebrate the day of our Victory and my Ascension. I trust all has been going well with your prizes, yes?"

Aizen addressed the collective gathering pleasantly, ending his sentence with a sip of tea from his cup. Despite his rank of Kami, Aizen's cup was still a simple earthenware container instead of one made from delicate, horribly expensive bone china, as would be expected of such a high ranking person. When she was a child, Ajuga had once asked him why he hadn't upgraded his drinking vessel accordingly (Hana had been too afraid to say anything) his reply was simple: china allowed the tea to cool too quickly, whereas the thicker earthenware kept it at a hot temperature considerably longer, letting one savour it the way tea was meant to be enjoyed.

The answers to Aizen's opening question varied. Everything from grunts of agreement to proper and formal polite 'yeses' were given. Despite the various responses, they were all still positive.

"Excellent. Starrk, would you please be kind enough to begin? How are your pets doing?"

"Well," Starrk answered simply, and left it at that without any further elaboration.

Some things definitely hadn't changed over the years, and the Primera was one of them. Five years was not so long to a Hollow, or to a Shinigami for that matter. Still, Starrk's ability to doze off in mid-sentence was something to behold.

"What of Jushiro's health?" Aizen prompted, letting his eyes slide to the silver-haired man sitting silently beside his Master.

Jushiro sat with his head bowed and his hands clasped before him in a pose of obedient submission. The only time he moved from that pose was when he took a polite sip of the tea Aizen provided for his 'guest' during these meetings.

"Mmph…Still cough-free and half-blind," Starrk replied with a huge yawn and a scratch to his side. It was faint, but he said this with just the slightest hint of displeasure at the end, which he managed to cover up with another yawn.

Aizen had been the one responsible for nearly blinding Jushiro and would have fully blinded him, as had been his intent at the time, had Jushiro's highly-trained reflexes not kicked in, causing him to flinch backwards before his mind had even registered he was being attacked. Lilinette, and by extension Starrk, had not been pleased with the attack on what was his/their property. In fact, Lilinette's near-unquenchable fury had pushed Starrk into action over their shared anger regarding the assault. It was the only time Starrk had ever heard anything resembling an apology from Aizen. Of course, Aizen had done nothing to rectify the mistake, since doing so would have implied that Kami _had_ made an error in the first place and _that_ simply didn't happen. Therefore, Jushiro remained half-blind, sporting a black eye patch over what Aizen had destroyed.

"And Nanao?" Aizen inquired, continuing what amounted to a politely-phrased interrogation.

Unlike Jushiro, Nanao was not at the meeting, as Starrk didn't have an active Claim on her. His 'Claim' on her remained a vocal one, just like the one Ulquiorra had once held on Tatsuki before permitting her to choose her own Master.

"She's content and proud of Hana-chan for finishing her tenures at Shinōreijutsuin this summer and joining the Third Division." There just may have been a wee bit of pride in his voice as well when he said this. It was hard to tell with the First, but it was well known that Hana held a soft spot with him.

The 3rd Division had been the best choice for Hana, as members of the family ran both the 2nd and 5th Divisions and her presence in either of those units might have resulted in a conflict of interest. Aizen ran the 1st Division and neither her mother nor Karin considered it a 'safe' place. Since Hana was not a healer, assigning her a spot in Toshiro's Division had seemed like the most logical choice. He would make sure to keep an eye on her without having conflicting interest that arose when relatives worked together.

"I'm pleased to hear about her achievements. A pity she never inherited her father's strength, but I have heard that she has a rather sharp mind. Not too surprising, given her heritage. She is still young however. There is a chance she could come into her power within the next few years."

Aizen's assessment was accurate, up to a point. Yes, Hana was getting older, and while not as powerful as her father had been, few were. She'd gained enough strength and had reached an age where she stood a chance of becoming attractive to those Arrancar that had yet to Claim pets or who had lost or dismissed the ones they'd once held. Again, finding a place for Hana in the Third Division helped ease Nanao's growing concern for her daughter's safety. It was a concern that the widow shared with her housemate and fellow mother, Karin.

Arrancar aged quickly; the deserts of Hueco Mundo were not a safe place to take one's time growing up, and Ajuga was an eye-catching choice for a mate. Barragan's thwarted attempt on her years ago proved that. Both girls were 'teenagers' now and eyes were starting to wander their direction. Their parents knew that it would only be a matter of time before someone tried something and when that happened, there were more than a few betting pools going as to how much of the suitor would be left to sweep up once Grimmjow caught sight of lesser creatures perusing his daughter. She might be older now, but the Sexta's protective instincts had never wavered and he'd never dropped his guard where his child was concerned.

Aizen turned his attention towards Barragan next.

"And how do your pets fare?"

"Obedient and acceptable, as always," the scared man grunted.

"Oh? You've nothing exciting to report?" Aizen asked in a tone that indicated he knew Barragan was withholding something he considered newsworthy.

"The broad's knocked up," Barragan admitted grudgingly.

That tidbit of information certainly caused a stir, to the Second's apparent irritation. Nemu had been the only Shinigami to produce offspring so far, so to hear of another was both interesting and to the Espada, exciting. Szayel, in particular, seemed almost giddy. His pool of hybrid test subjects had been limited so far to just two humans and one altered Shinigami.

"When is the expected due date?"

"Three months, according to your wife," Barragan grunted. The man on the throne tapped his lip with one finger, as if pondering something.

"Intriguing. That's not long at all. I trust you are following closely Szayel?" Aizen questioned the excited scientist.

"Of course, Kami-sama," he almost squealed, before visibly forcing himself to calm down. "Unohana-sama and I are keeping a close watch on the situation, just as we have with the other four current offspring, including the twins," he couldn't help but brag just a little. "I expect that her pregnancy will run similarly to the one endured by Karin-sama."

"Karin? That's new. I never knew you were so cat-like, Barragan," Aizen said with a certain amount of amusement in his voice. Unfortunately, the one receiving it wasn't inclined to agree with his 'Lord'.

"The little bastard isn't mine," Barragan sneered. "I would have ordered it destroyed if not for _your_ insistence that the runt be born. Do not expect me to care for the thing after she whelps it," Barragan spat.

"I expect you to care for it as long as it takes to determine if the baby has any potential worth mentioning. If so, you will raise it beneath your roof for my benefit, as expected of a loyal subject. If it is not useful, _then_ you may have your way with it."

Aizen gave a wave of his hand, indicating he was done with the subject. The Second looked as if he was simply dying to argue, but crossed his arms and 'Humphed' loudly.

Only the most observant, and those that knew her well, noted the small flinch of emotional turmoil Soi Fon gave off at the callous disregard for the child she carried. More than one of the Espada seemed angered by Barragan's words, but everyone was wise enough to keep their mouths shut about it, at least while the meeting was still in session. Still, even Nnoitra cast a look of naked disgust in the wrinkled Espada's direction.

Harribel was next.

"Nothing has changed, Aizen-Kami. Toshiro continues to perform admirably in his duties to both the Division to which he has been assigned and in the duties I request of him," she answered. "I've had no reason to exercise my control over his Claim during the last year, nor do I expect to have to do so in the future," she reported.

Nnoitra chose that moment to snort and toss a sneer in the direction of the Tercera, and immediately schooled his features when Aizen leaned back and turned to face the Fifth, one eyebrow cocked.

"Do you wish to say something, Nnoitra Gilga? Are things under your roof going so well that you want to rush ahead of the Fourth?"

For a second Nnoitra seemed to be casting about for an answer, then simply shrugged and settled on his usual overtly confident grin. He also reached back and gave the woman sitting next to him a smack on her silk-clad ass. To her credit, Rangiku didn't take her eyes off the floorboards in front of her, though her hands did tighten in the folds of the kimono's fabric, pooled around her legs.

"I ain't got any complaints. She knows exactly how I like things!" he boasted.

While Harribel gave no outward indication that Nnoitra's interruption had ruffled her in any way, Toshiro's jaw tightened a little and his eyes narrowed just a fraction at the display.

"I'm glad to hear it," Aizen said dryly. "Thank you for your input."

He did however give Halibel and Toshiro a pleased smile before turning his attention to the next of his Espada, waiting patiently as always. "Ulquiorra?" Aizen prompted.

"Things are fine," Ulquiorra said and Orihime beamed at him happily.

"How is your son?"

"He's acceptable."

Orihime elbowed him sharply in the side before wincing in pain as her soft, human flesh met the strength of his heirro. The Espada let his eyes flicker to her briefly in annoyance before letting out a barely discernible sigh and elaborated on his answer.

"He is progressing at a satisfactory rate and his behaviour is... normally perfect when not affected by… outside influences." There was the barest hint of annoyance in his voice and green eyes flickered briefly to glare at the very amused blue ones across the table.

The first chuckles since the meeting began filled the hall and smirks touched several lips. Even Aizen seemed to appreciate the way the Fourth phrased things. It was no secret that Diaemus, despite his best efforts, usually got tangled up in whatever scheme Ajuga and Hana had cooked up between them. This 'tangling' seemed to happen on a weekly basis. Ulquiorra had tried to ban his son from associating with the delinquents, but the order had quickly been recalled when _everyone_ discovered just how much **more** damage occurred without Diaemus acting as the voice of reason.

Of course, shortly after those snickers stopped, the snickers about a certain green-eyed Arrancar and a certain human woman's pinkie finger began. They were very _quiet_ snickers, however, as most of those present were not suicidal.

"Which leads us to our next group," Aizen turned his gaze towards Grimmjow and Karin. "Dare I ask how your family is coming along Grimmjow?"

(POV)

"I must strongly protest this course of action," Diaemus announced in a calm voice.

"Yeah, try actually adding some emotion to that tone and I might believe you," Hana replied and laughed at him.

"You always 'protest'," Ajuga pointed out. "Stop being such a baby, hanging on your daddy's coattails."

The taunt appeared to have little effect on him.

"And do the protests I make in these cases more often than not end up being valid?" he shot back, ignoring her personal jab.

"My math is always dead on," Hana snorted as she crossed her arms. "I've run the calculations on this at least ten times, to make sure I'm not leaving anything out. I trust those more than I trust decisions made out of fear."

"That's not the point, Diaemus," Ajuga sighed and gave Hana an encouraging look. The young Shinigami nodded and made her case yet again to the boy in front of her.

"Ajuga-chan is right. This is a matter of… oh, how should we put it?"

Hana looked at Ajuga for help and the other girl shrugged. Hana was a whiz with numbers, Ajuga with words and right now, Diaemus needed persuading with something more than data.

"Think of it as a training exercise for everyone. If the three of us can get the drop on Aizen-kami's forces, then clearly they need more training. We are simply finding and exploit…I mean, showcasing," she quickly corrected "the flaws in the Defence Net that need fixing. While doing so, we're presenting them with the opportunity to deal with defence scenarios that they might not have considered as far as preparations. Better us than the Swarm, right?" Ajuga pointed out.

Diaemus let out a sigh of defeat. Ajuga always found a way to talk him around to her point of view. Briefly, he prayed that his father would forgive him for his involvement, but he know that if he didn't go to keep an eye on the two girls, things usually ended up much, much worse for all those unlucky enough to be involved.

"Fine! Once again you have managed to convince me to participate in your wild schemes. Although, I cannot see the Swarm infiltrating our defences in such a manner, nor using the kind of creative attack that you have in mind."

"That's all the more reason for us to test this out! I can see them trying this tactic," Hana said, trying to explain her reasoning. "Just imagine: we all rush to point A and the Swarm slips in under point B."

Diaemus held back a sigh and wondered, once again, how the two girls always managed to talk him into helping them. It wasn't as if he didn't know the script by now. Ajuga and Hana were invariably caught, lectured, and punished, time after time, and yet they kept at it and somehow they had managed to reel him in yet again. He was not happy about it.

"Okay, everyone get in position. We only have a small window to pull this off without getting caught," Hana ordered, sharing a smirk with Ajuga.

(POV)

"It is good to hear that…"

Suddenly, several of the perimeter tower alarms began blaring, cutting Aizen short.

For a brief movement everyone sat there stared at each other stupidly. It had been so long since the Perimeter Breach Alarms had gone off that it took them a moment to even realize what it was they were hearing. Yet no one panicked, as it was common knowledge that the Science and Research Division often took down the Defense Grid for short periods, usually for maintenance.

Szayel acted first, whipping a device out of his pocket and tapping it furiously. Aizen stared at him in a displeased manner and it began to dawn on those present that the current interruption wasn't expected.

"The Net is still up and stable," Szayel reported with a slight hint of relief in his voice. "And the cameras are clear. There is no sign of Swarm activity in the vicinity."

Most of the room's reactions varied from relief to disappointment: relief for some that the population was safe and disappointment from others that they were still stuck in what amounted to an idiotic meeting and that there wasn't a fight in the offing.

The Seventh pulled out another device and flipped it open.

"What is going on?" he asked sharply as someone picked up the other end.

"It would seem that 'someone' or several 'someones' manually activated several of the Perimeter Breach Alarm towers. I would give you three guesses, Otou-san, but that would be two too many."

Abisara's young voice crackled dryly over the communication device.

Szayel's twins had grown over the last five years, and took two completely different paths while doing so. Abisara was very much his father's son, while Vindula resembled no one in her little family. If anything, she seemed more like a younger version of Ajuga, minus the ears, the tail and the hind paws and with the addition of an appreciation of all things 'pretty'. The little girl was always eager to explore, hunt and simply get into whatever mischief she could find, often in the pursuit of something she thought attractive.

"Would you like me to override the alarms and shut them off, Otou-san?" Abisara asked.

"Yes, if you would be so kind…" Aizen spoke up, answering for Szayel.

"As you command, Kami-sama," Abisara answered, terminating the connection.

Aizen turned his attention towards the culprits' parents. Grimmjow was grinning unabashedly, Karin had a hand to her forehead, rubbing it in irritation, Orihime had the good grace to look chagrined and Ulquiorra's expression, if one could call it that, hadn't changed one iota.

"Do be so kind as to rein in your errant offspring," he ordered.

All four of them nodded in affirmation.

"And please, see that it does not happen again, or I shall take measures to show them myself what I think of chaos in my Empire," he said sweetly, his eyes as hard as burnished steel.

That elicited a very different set of responses, not only from the guilty parties' parents, but also from several of the others in attendance.

"Hai, Kami-sama," Ulquiorra was the only one to respond, but only because Karin kicked her mate when he opened his mouth.

(POV)

"Damn it, who messed up?" Hana growled in annoyance. "I spent hours on these calculations!" She scowled at Ajuga, who defensively put up her hands and scowled right back at her.

"Hey, I didn't even get up to my tower before the alarm went off!"

They glared at each other for several minutes before a very loud, creaking noise interrupted them. Both girls froze and then looked cautiously at the tower they were currently standing near, but the noise didn't come again and the alarm died, much to Ajuga's relief.

"Bloody thing," Hana snapped, rubbing the back of her neck. "My poor ears are buzzing now."

"Yeah, so are mine," Ajuga agreed, than frowned and started to sniff the air. Her ears, which she'd held tight against her skull to protect her far more sensitive hearing, suddenly perked up and swivelled towards the tower.

"Ah, Hana-chan is it just me or is the buzzing getting louder?"

Diaemus appeared before them, a frown on his features, but for once, he wasn't scowling at them. Instead, he seemed focused on something in the distance.

The tower creaked again, and this time it sounded as if something metallic and heavy within it was bending. They looked at one another, as if to confirm that each of the others had heard the same thing.

Their original plan had been to start at different towers and run down the line, two of them setting off alarms while the third snuck past the Net at a different point, to prove that if they could do it, the enemy could as well. Before Ajuga could do anything more than put her hand on the door, the alarm had gone off. The sound had disoriented her as the alarms blasted her sensitive hearing at point-blank range. She had quickly retreated to the small clearing that the three of them had designated as a meeting point.

While Hana couldn't explain what they'd heard, she did give her two friends a moment of silence while their sharpened senses tried to hone in on the problem. The wind carried a whiff of something their way, something vaguely familiar to the black-haired, half Arrancar, something she hadn't scented for a very long time.

"Something's wrong," Ajuga declared, sniffing the air more intensely as she dashed forward. "This way…"

"Ajuga-chan, slow down," Hana called as she raced after her friend.

"Don't' you think it would be wise to alert the authorities first?" Diaemus suggested.

Ajuga didn't answer. She was already in full hunting mode. Nose twitching and ears straining to pick up anything that might be out of place, the girl also kept her eyes peeled for some clue as to her foe's identity. She was the first back to the tower that had been her original target, eyes narrowing as she studied the door. It seemed fine, but the scent was definitely stronger here. She racked her brain, trying to recall where she had smelled it before, but the answer eluded her, to her growing frustration.

She did know one thing and that was the scent she'd followed was much stronger on the other side of the door. Then the tower gave off yet another groan, as if something within it was under some great distress and buckling from unseen force. In addition, she thought she could smell burning metal, which in her mind was never a good sign.

Ajuga slowly opened the door and entered the room, then abruptly froze. Hana and Diaemus followed her in and almost tripped over her as they stared about with a mixture of shock and disbelief on their faces.

The scent finally registered with Ajuga and with the realization of what it was came a memory she had nearly forgotten. She could still taste the ichor in her mouth as the giant grasshoppers foolishly attempted to interrupt her hunt and dared to presume that she was their prey. She'd often smelled the same stench on her parents when they returned home from battle when she was younger and before the Defence Net went up to protect the Seireitei and its Districts..

What looked like a massive cockroach, one the size of an elephant, turned their way and let out a loud, resounding hiss. Several smaller insects appeared around its legs, reminding the three of pill bugs, albeit pill bugs the size of a cow.

"It's the Swarm…" Ajuga heard Hana whisper, more out of shock than any attempt to stay quiet.

Ajuga, for her part, could only nod in agreement. She had no doubt that the creatures before them were a part of it, given their race, size and apparent hostility. Worse, these were clearly new and undocumented members of the flying horde.

"_Szay__'__ is going to wet his hakama when he learns of these things,__"_ Ajuga thought slightly amused.

The buzzing grew louder and, now that they were fully in the room, she could tell it came from the very large hole that something had dug in the middle of the floor. The Swarm had tunnelled under the Defence Net and come up in one of the Perimeter Breach Alarm Towers.

"We need to plug that hole before more come through," Hana declared. The noise was loud enough now for even her lesser hearing to make it out.

Ajuga snarled, dropped down on all fours and charged the creatures like the panther she resembled. The cockroach let out another loud hiss and the pill bug-like creatures rushed forward to meet her.

"Shit," Hana hissed as she drew her Zanpakuto and followed Ajuga into the growing fray.

"How very troublesome," Diaemus stated calmly.

Unlike the two girls, he did not join the fight against the smaller insects, but rather made for the tower's control panel. The cockroach moved to intercept him, but it was nowhere near as fast as he was, giving him ample time to hit the manual alarm, a feature from the time Science and Research Division staff members manned the now-automated towers. Once more, the alarm blared, pulling a pained noise from Ajuga as it once more assaulted her hearing.

Diaemus stepped to the side, letting the large creature crash into the wall and through it, tearing through the heavy sheet metal as if it were nothing more than wet paper. Cries of alarm met it from outside as the Shinigami responding to the first set of alarms, having not gotten the message from the Espada Claim Meeting that it had been 'fake,' got their first look at the thing.

"Diaemus, check the other towers we targeted! If we didn't trigger the alarms and they went off anyway, this might not be the only one they've infested!" Hana called out. "The Swarm could be pouring in through tunnels all over the area!"

The theory was sound and he was, by far, the fastest. He didn't bother responding and simply disappeared from sight.

"You pathetic rats!" Ajuga snarled, her claws tearing another chunk out of her target's armor.

The creature's exoskeleton was strong, but her claws were tougher and stronger. Still, it was the depth of the armour, not the strength of the stuff, that caused problems for her. It was far too strong for Hana's Zanpakuto so she sheathed the blade and quickly switched to her preferred method of fighting, one she had inherited from her mother: Kido.

Balls of fire erupted into the fray and the air became charged as bolts of lightning also flew from Hana's fingertips. The armour that protected the creatures also hindered them, making it almost impossible to defend themselves from the air, so across their back was where Ajuga remained. Through it all, the droning grew much, much louder. It was the sound of thousands of sets of insect wings approaching.

"We have got to find a way to collapse that tunnel!" Ajuga snarled.

The first of the locust like creatures was just starting to emerge from the tunnel, buzzing in excitement as they made their way towards the hole in the wall.

"The supports! They are already weakened, no doubt in an attempt to bring down the tower and destroy our warning system. A few good hits should bring it down," Hana declared.

Ajuga didn't argue, when it came to team strategy and tactics Hana was far better at it than she was. She much preferred to stalk her prey solo. Despite that, she was still a team player when it called for it. She had many fond memories of hunting larger and more dangerous prey in the forest with her father and he'd be disappointed in her if he knew she hadn't taken advantage of someone to help in this situation. Hana had always been the brains of the operation and Ajuga the muscle.

She manoeuvred the milling Swarm towards the heavily damaged pillars, letting their far more powerful and heavier bulks do the job for her. The tower creaked and groaned ominously. Hana was the first to retreat, doing her best to slow the Swarm down as they flew out of the hole in the ground and made for the one in the wall.

Once she knew Hana was safe, Ajuga retreated as well. Most of the pill bugs had been destroyed and now it was the normal member of the Swarm she was swatting. Their numbers were growing quickly and the room inside the tower dwindled. The structure truly began to groan now as the supports that held everything in place began to give way.

She darted for the nearest exit, not the large hole in the wall but rather the human-sized door they had first entered. Ajuga was just in time. Debris rained down around her as the tower's framework buckled. Now she went low instead of high, using the large flying locusts as a living shield for herself from the dangerous chucks of metal falling everywhere.

Several chased after her and smashed into the door frame. Their larger bulk were too big to fit through the smaller opening. She could see the Shinigami, formed up in ranks, hammering the larger hole with waves of Kido blasts and a few used their Shikai abilities, another reason she'd chosen her escape route carefully. She had just enough time to turn around before the structure completely collapsed, pushing out a wave of dust that had her covering her face and flattening her ears.

"Damn it," she cursed and coughed, then shook herself like an animal to try to get the dust out of her fur.

Ajuga was caked in dust and it tickled her sensitive nose, sending her into another sneezing fit. The gore that covered her from her opponents turned the dust almost muddy, making it that much more difficult to dislodge and caking it to her once, pristine white fur.

"Ajuga!"

Her mother's frantic cry caught her attention. Karin was by her daughter's side in an instant, enveloping her in a tight, if messy hug.

"Mama," she protested, trying to pry herself out of her mother's death grip. "You are embarrassing me," she complained.

"Indulge me," Karin insisted.

The few members of the Swarm that managed to escaped the Shinigami's Kido bombardment went scattering, not towards the city as everyone expected, but towards the Defence Grid pillars.

"Stop them, quickly!" Nanao ordered her troops.

The Shinigami broke ranks, racing after the massive insects. Karin finally released her daughter and took up her own pursuit. Ajuga looked down briefly at the filth that covered her and then put it out of her mind and joined in the pursuit. It wasn't hard to forget, temporarily, her discomfort while caught up in the thrill of the hunt. It was going to be hell to try to get the guts out of her fur and hair later, but she had bigger things on her mind at the moment.

Ajuga picked her targets and tore them to shreds as she caught up to them. The Swarm's Locusts were far easier to kill than the strange pill bugs, since they had thinner carapaces. They also seemed to be completely focused on their goal and didn't even try to defend themselves as they flew towards their targets.

The Defence Grid slowly approached, the bright light of the Kido chain-link fence easily coming into view. Her eyes went to the next target, and she increasing her speed. She was just about to make the leap to engage the creature when she caught a flash of blue and white and her target was sliced cleanly in half a second before she reached it.

"Papa!" she cried in frustration as she veered to avoid running into him. "That was my prey," she hissed in annoyance.

"Should have gotten to it faster than," Grimmjow smirked at her.

Ajuga huffed in annoyance and pouted. She changed her target and went after the next target, letting her frustration out on the creature. She may have puffed up just a little as her father praised her as he sped past her, intent on taking out another insect. Unlike her mother, her father had no problems letting her sharpen her talons on such pathetic prey.

They were almost to the nearest pillar. Out of the corner of her eye, Ajuga spotted a dark cloud to the West, already _inside_ the fence.

"Papa, Mama!" she called, indicating the large group of creatures heading to the pillars, totally forgetting that she had been trying not to let her mother know she was still on the field.

"Shit!" Karin cursed, changing her course to intercept. "Go home Ajuga!" she ordered fiercely.

The Shinigami under her command veered off with her to intercept the Swarming mass of locusts. Karin was out of range before Ajuga could respond that there was no chance in Hell she was leaving the battle now and missing out on all of the fun. This was the largest engagement since the Defence Net went up and she was finally old enough and skilled enough to participate in the hunt. She did veer east, however.

"_Out of sight out of mind,__"_ she thought smugly. _"__And home is in this direction, in a roundabout way. Sort of. It__'__s not like mother told me exactly _when_ I had to be home, or what path to take to get there.__"_

Two more Locusts fell under her claws, but the rest of this group had reached one of the Defence Net pillars. Those members of the Swarm that had made it were doing their best to destroy it. Several were knocked into the Net and a good number more were pulled by instinct towards the light. The air quickly started to smell unpleasantly like charred bug.

For those using Kido or other forms of ranged attacks from their Zanpakuto the fight got a bit more intense. With the Swarm now trying to take out the pillars from the outside, they had to watch their own attacks least they damage that which they were desperately trying to protect. On the other side of the net, the sky was black with those headed towards the city.

The few bugs that were left attacking this pillar on the city side of the grid were quickly cleaned up. Once one pillar was secure, Ajuga moved East with the intent to check the rest of the pillars, in case any more of the furtive rats managed to sneak in undetected. As much as she wanted to hunt with her father, she didn't want her mother to know she had disobeyed her order to head back home. This was far too invigorating.

Several of the Shinigami that has been assigned in her direction followed her, clearly having the same idea. She smiled at the few she knew from her mother's Division, but otherwise ignored them. Their power was nothing compared to hers. They were merely Shinigami. _She_ was an Arrancar. They could never hope to rise to her level, at least as far as this sort of fight went. It was as if she was built for this kind of fighting, had been born for it and there was little ego in her own self-assessment. The number of insect corpses she left in her wake confirmed her strength.

"_I wish Papa could see this. He would be so proud of me," _she thought as her claws shredded another locust like paper.

(POV)

The last thing Karin had been expecting was an _actual_ reason for the alarm activations. She couldn't help but to cringe. Szayel was going to be in for a rough time with Aizen when he found out that there was a serious reason for the blaring sirens.

"_And things have been going so well on that front too,__"_ she couldn't help but to mentally sigh.

With the Defence Grid holding and the Realms holding relatively stable, Aizen had been calmer, less vindictive. Almost no one had suffered at his hands since the Net had gone up. While there were the odd displays of displeasure now and then, those displays had been relatively mild altercations. They were nothing like what she had come to expect from the bastard. Somehow, Karin had a feeling that the peace and tranquility most people had been enjoying was about to evaporate.

While Nanao deployed their troops, Karin hesitated over making the call she had to make. She hoped that Szayel would have left the meeting already and Aizen wouldn't hear about how the scientist and his son had inadvertently turned a real alarm off simply because Ajuga, Hana and Diaemus had been spotted by the premises, at least not until later. It was not very wise to lie to Aizen and she had no doubt that the truth would be out very quickly, if it wasn't already. There was no way to convince the sheer number of people that would be writing reports over this incident to fudge the facts.

With a sigh, she called up Szayel.

"I am a little busy here, Karin-sama…" he complained over her headset, not even giving her time to speak.

"Busy with work or busy trying to hide?" she shot back, irritated at his tone and not above being a bit cruel about it.

She felt the bolt of fear he gave off from her statement rush down the Claim, followed quickly by annoyance. It was a mean thing to have said, but she was in a bad mood right now herself and his back talk just made her a little more pissy and vindictive.

"It looks like we got some new bugs for you to poke at."

She felt her own annoyance fade a bit as his overwhelming excitement at the prospect of new experiments zapped her from Szayel at the news.

"Make sure the specimens aren't disturbed. I'll send over a team right away to secure them for transport," he ordered breathlessly.

"There are more important concerns right now than the corpses. It looks like the Swarm tunnelled in this time. They're attacking the pillars. If we don't want to have to replace the whole Defence Net, we are going to have to turn the grid off and retract the poles."

"Doing that will leave us open for the rather large contingent heading towards the Net, and most of the force is out in the field right now," he pointed out.

Karin felt that old, familiar, hopeless feeling, the tightness in her chest that she equated with being strangled slowly. Szayel was right; most of the Shinigami force was in the Living Realm performing their duties, still desperately trying to catch up to the backlog of their duties even after five years. There would be no way to recall them in time to help fight. Almost the entire Arrancar force was here, but as powerful as they were there were simply far too many opponents on hand for the hollow half of Aizen's army to deal with before major damage was done. The very balance of the realms depended on things remaining as stable as can be and large civilian casualties would be very, very bad for that balance.

"I hate catch-22s," Karin complained under her breath.

The decision wasn't hers to make either. She could order Szayel to bring the Grid down and he would have no choice but to obey. However, she didn't have the authority to do so and, as many had learned the hard way, Aizen did not like people acting out of turn. The very last thing she needed was for him to decide to punish her for overstepping her authority the way he had many others, by rape. It would be just her luck to get pregnant and give him the very thing that he had been searching for, the last key he needed for total domination: an heir of Royal blood.

There were bigger fish to fry right now so she closed the line and concentrated on swatting the bugs currently trying to attack the pillars. So far, the Net held and as long as it did so, nothing on the other side of it mattered.

"_One problem at a time, take care of the things I can, the threat in front of me," _she thought resolutely. She could not afford to be distracted by things she could not effect.

(POV)

This was the first battle in which Hana was forced to participate. She had always figured that she would react to what occurred during a battle calmly and rationally, but all she felt right now was blind panic. Things were happening so quickly and there were so many enemies. She found herself stumbling over her Kido incantations, making desperate moves with her Zanpakuto and blocking rather than taking firm control of her actions, as she'd hoped she would. It wasn't until the Swarm scattered and began going after the pillars with a single-minded purpose that she finally calmed down enough stop reacting and start planning her next attack.

The first thing she noticed was that Ajuga was missing. She felt overwhelming fear for her friend's safety, and it wasn't because Ajuga, like the rest of the troops, might end up dead. She was well aware that most Arrancar could count on their Hierro as a first line of defence and Ajuga was no exception. The holes were far too small for the beetles to get through and, as far as Hana knew, those were the only ones that were capable of seriously harming an Arrancar.

She desperately scanned for Ajuga's familiar reiatsu and nearly sobbed in relief when she picked it up off to the East. If Ajuga had been in full 'stalking mode', Hana wouldn't have had a glacier's chance in hell of finding her. Hana rushed towards Ajuga's position, desperately praying that her friend hadn't gotten scratched due to carelessness or cockiness.

"_It would be just like her to let one of the damn things bite her to show off,__"_ Hana couldn't help but to think with a mixture of annoyance and a little amusement.

She caught up to Ajuga only because her friend was stopping at each pillar to swat the bugs chewing on the poles. Fortunately, the Swarm's locusts were similar to their smaller, more native cousins in that they were herbivores. Their mandibles lacked the strength to bite easily through the steel metal poles that held the grid up. It was a good thing too, because it was quickly looking like the infiltration had been part of a much larger invasion plan.

"Ajuga-chan!" Hana called out as she finally reached a pillar still crawling with locusts.

At least her friend wasn't alone. Several Shinigami were busy attacking the Swarm as well. To Hana's relief, the Locusts seemed to be solely focused on assaulting the pillars rather than trying to defend themselves.

"Definitely a hive-like mind," Hana grumbled as she caught up to her friend.

"Hana-chan," Ajuga acknowledged her with a wide smile of excitement, clearly enjoying herself immensely.

"Eww… good grief, Ajuga! You desperately need a bath. You reek and you're covered in dirt and gore," Hana complained, covering her nose and waving a hand in front of her face.

Only now did Ajuga seem to notice the state she was in and gave off a shudder of her own with a loudly proclaimed, 'Yuck.' The two girls weren't idle as they spoke. With this pole secure, they headed towards the next, the few Shinigami traveling with their little band greeting Hana warmly, even though they were from different Divisions.

Hana recognized them as her mother's troops from their armbands, even though she didn't know their names. She was pleased to note that Ajuga's presence didn't seem to bother them in the least. Ajuga had won over most of the 5th Division when she was still a bright-eyed, far-too-adorable cub. The 5th division had collectively watched the Arrancar child grow up, since Ajuga was not the least bit shy at showing up in her mother's office when boredom got the best of her.

The next Defence Breach Tower came into view and Ajuga paused, sniffing that way before suddenly disappearing from Hana's senses completely, even though Ajuga was still right in front of her. The Shinigami in the group continued on towards the Defence Net Poles that were covered in the Swarm.

"Ajuga, what is it?" Hana asked worried.

"That tower is infested," she replied, sniffing the air again. "These ones smell different though."

Before Hana could ask that Ajuga elaborate, her friend was just gone, disappearing completely. With her reiatsu completely concealed, Hana couldn't track her.

"Ajuga," Hana called after her before letting out a string of foul curses she had learned from Grimmjow, although she would never let her mother or her surrogate aunt ever know she knew them and used them, let alone where she had learned them. She didn't actually wish any injury on Grimmjow.

Hana followed as best she could and made for the tower. It appeared completely normal from the outside. She heard no buzzing, nor were there any other sounds or indications that this tower, like the last, was under attack.

By the time Hana made it to the door, she was shocked to discover that it was still locked. For a brief moment she feared Ajuga had already gone in and secured the door behind her, but she was proven wrong when a hand landed on her shoulder. She nearly screamed in terror but managed to clamp down on it before she could give their position away to any enemies that might be nearby.

"Ajuga!" she hissed angrily.

"Shhh!"

Ajuga scowled at her, and then whispered, "You never were any good at hunting."

Both girls pressed their ears against the door and listened intently. Hana could hear voices, but she couldn't make out the words. There was something about them, though, that tugged at her memory. She found that strange because she hadn't had many encounters with the Swarm prior to today, let alone ones that… could…talk…

Hana's brain began putting two and two together. If the Swarm itself had a hive-mind, then something had to be controlling it, issuing orders to the Swarm's various parts. That something also had to be close enough to issue those orders, yet far enough away or concealed well enough to protect the ones giving the orders from attack, thereby interrupting the lines of communication.

Pulling away from the door, Hana suddenly knew what she and Ajuga would find behind it. From Ajuga's rapidly widening smile and gleefully vicious grin, Hana could guess that Ajuga realized it as well.

* * *

Well, here we are boys and girls, to Part 2 of Prize of Victory. I know I promised this one was going to be lighter, but, um, reviewing what I have written I may have, umm lied. I am doing my best to add some more light hearted scenes to offset the darker ones. Also trying to add some more scenes with the others side characters (Like Toshiro/Harribel and Yumichika/Soi Fon/Ggio) while not spending too much time with the kids and keeping to the cannon characters. As usual, the really, really dark scenes will only be posted on the Adultfan version.

Thank you everyone who supported part 1, and I hope part 2 will live up to your expectations. I will say now that the Escapee's, while they will play a much larger role in this fict, won't show up for some time, so please have patience on that front. Also, make sure to read Consolation Prize (of Victory) by Black Fox on Adultfan, which primarily features Renji and Nel. While it's not mandatory to read it to read this fict, some events will be referenced and for those of you that love smut, it's full of it. I encourage you to read it as Black Fox but a lot of work into it and I would love to see you all support the Amazing Beta who made Prize of Victory become the epic that it has turned into.

Now, I **do not** have 500 prewritten pages like I did with POV 1 so there may be delays this time. I will do my best to keep updates even, but I make no promises, especially now that I have a child to care for.

One last note, while I generally despise authors who beg for reviews, if I do not see an interest in this story (as I didn't for Part 1 on this site) I simply won't continue it as there is just too much going on now. This story is a lot of work and POV 1 didn't seem to garner that much interest. I know it can be difficult to think of things to say sometimes, so I will try and continue with my "This Week's Question" to help give a prompt and let me know people are, indeed, reading.

This Weeks Question: What was your favourite Chapter in POV 1 and, if you can put it into words, why?

Next Week: the battle continues.


	2. General

General

It was late, or early depending on which way one wanted to look at it. The battle officially ended at 01:32 and it was 04:02 now. Szayel was spent, both from coordinating the battle and from the shock of emotional stress, which hadn't subsided. His chest was killing him from the combination of tension and the acid reflex that went with it. If Ajuga, Hana and Diaemus hadn't been at one of the towers to reactivate the alarms, the Net would have been down and the Swarm on them before they could have mobilized at all. He had never considered the Swarm might tunnel under the Net; none of the Swarm's previous incarnations included tunnelling or burrowing insects before.

He'd ordered his staff to excavate at least one body each of the two new Swarm species from the debris of the collapsed tower. Most of the smaller, pill bug-like insect bodies were in transit to the Science Division, but the larger creature that resembled a cockroach would require more effort to move thanks to its massive size and weight.

A search of the other towers showed no sign of these two new creatures. The holes they left behind, however, told a different story. While they'd retreated for now, the size and depth of the tunnels was something to behold. With this new threat, Szayel would have to devise a new method of defence. With these new troops, the Swarm could tunnel anywhere, coming up in the middle of the city if they desired.

Szayel had put together, a little too quickly for his liking, two theories about the presence of the heretofore-unknown tunnelling bugs. The fact they'd never been seen before gave rise to the first theory, that the Swarm had co-opted them from the wild in their efforts to find a better way to get around the Defence Net, a tactic that had worked beautifully to Szayel's dismay. His second theory was that the Swarm had bred the pill bug to enable an attack on the Net. He did have his doubts about the second theory; it took a great deal of time to create and breed complex organisms of such a size. Five years wasn't nearly enough time for something like that to evolve in order to meet such a specific need, and Szayel was more convinced that the Swarm coerced the creatures into helping. He would know more when he got to study and catalogue the new specimens.

When Aizen's orders delaying the meeting arrived, he felt a small amount of relief. He'd hoped for a bit of rest. Then he'd worried that the delay was so that Aizen could have a private chat with him about turning a real alarm off, even though the order had come from Aizen himself. After two hours with no Aizen on his doorstep, he relaxed a little, but not too much. It wouldn't be the first time Aizen decided to punish him in front of the others.

"_At least the children are in bed with their mother,__"_ he thought with relief.

He had sent his family to bed an hour ago, although he doubted his son or mate was sleeping. The first was probably typing away on a tablet, working out the designs for a simple, yet effective, vibration detector that his staff could plant into the ground to detect any more tunnelling. The latter would be watching their children and making sure the room remained secure. In fact, their living quarters were better protected than Aizen's own chambers. Szayel had made sure there were enough layers of security between his family's private rooms that even Aizen would need a few minutes to break into them. The delay would give Szayel time to get there so that he might try to plead for their safety. Aizen had yet to hurt any of the children, but that didn't mean that he might not if 'Kami' proved angry enough.

As irritating as he found Abarai Renji, the muscle-head had brought up a valid point the day that Aizen decided to use Vindula to threaten her father over that blasted Quincy break-in. He wasn't willing to risk his children on an assumption that 'Kami' would follow his own rules.

Szayel was so distracted between fretting over Aizen's displeasure and analyzing the data that that day's battle generated that he missed the very creature he feared walking into the control room until a hand fell upon his shoulder. He spun about, but the tongue-lashing he had planned to give to the fool for interrupting his work quickly died before the first word was even finished.

"Kami-sama," he bowed deeply. "What can I do for you?"

He was actually proud that his voice only stuttered slightly.

"What have you learned about these new creatures?" Aizen asked, stepping beside him and easily pulling up the screen that had what little information they had collected so far.

Szayel felt himself relax a bit, but only a bit. Talking about research was a soothing balm for his emotions and it wasn't unlike Aizen to be interested in new and interesting things. After all, Kami-sama had a superb understanding of most of the sciences.

"I have not had much time to study these new creatures. We're gathering the specimens now. My staff managed to extract the pill bug like creatures, one of which I have temporarily labelled as Specimen S5. The cockroach, or Specimen S6, is still half-buried and very heavy. Getting it back to the lab will take time and resources, which I'm utilizing now to make sure we've no 'lurkers' that could cause more damage. I am sure you will agree to the current staff deployments," he pulled up the screen showing said allocations.

Aizen glanced at the screen and gave a small nod of his head in agreement and Szayel let out the breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"This is the first time we have seen the Swarm include insects that exhibit tunnelling behaviour, I trust plans are being made to counter this new move of theirs?"

"Yes, Abisara is working on a device as we speak, despite having been sent to bed," Szayel couldn't help the pride that touched his voice and the small smile that touched his lips as he thought proudly about his son. "He wanted to try to help, so I gave him something to keep him busy."

"Yes, about your son…"

The prideful feeling in Szayel's chest drained away and fear quickly took its place.

"He is turning out to be a rather sharp child, isn't he?"

"He has a thing for circuitry, but that is about all," Szayel interjected. "He has shown no interest or aptitude for anything else as of yet."

If Aizen feared that Abisara was becoming as intelligent as his father was, there was a good chance his son would face a future similar to that of his sire, one full of fear and pain as Aizen made certain that he understood his place in the hierarchy of things.

He could not, would not, allow that to happen to his son.

The glare Aizen sent him for his interruption caused that small pain that had been riding in his chest for hours to flare up so it felt like there was a spike shoved through his chest. He was honestly a little surprised Karin hadn't come to investigate yet. Given what he knew of Grimmjow's character, she was probably far too distracted by the usual after-battle activities most Arrancar preferred to enjoy to notice his fluctuating emotions.

"My apologies, Aizen-sama," he bowed deeply.

"Are you lying to me Szayel?" Aizen questioned pleasantly.

"No, of course not," he stammered out quickly.

"Shall I summon your son and test his intelligence, to see whether or not you are deliberately playing down his potential to me? Earlier you couldn't wait to brag about how advanced your children are."

"I… I've already sent them to bed."

"And yet you just told me you suspect he is still awake. Has it been so long since our last session that you actually _miss_ my punishments and as such are now seeking new ways to incur my wrath?"

"No!" the Seventh nearly cried in desperate denial. "It's just…" he struggled vainly for an appropriate excuse and came up with nothing that wouldn't sentence him to another round in that torture chamber below Aizen's palace, despite the agreement between Aizen and Karin that all punishments were to be carried out by her.

This time he heard the door open and close and the sound of three pairs of feet striking the floor tiles.

"Szay, we brought a gift for you!" Ajuga's cheerful voice broke the tension. "Oh! Evening, Kami-sama," Ajuga greeted Aizen flippantly.

Both men turned their attention to the three newcomers. Unlike Ajuga, Hana and Diaemus greeted Aizen far more formally and properly.

"Ajuga, shouldn't you be at home?" Szayel asked worriedly.

"Yeah, but we thought you might like to see the present we got you first," Ajuga smirked. "You are going to go absolutely insane when you see what we dragged in." Her smirk widened and, at that moment, she resembled Grimmjow a little too much for Szayel's already rattled nerves.

"Ajuga, please get to the point," Aizen ordered and his tone indicated he wasn't in any mood for games or dissembling.

"You're no fun," she stuck her tongue out at him and pouted. "Alright, fine, Diaemus-kun, if you would be so kind please," she turned her attention to the only male in their little band.

Without a word, Diaemus tossed the large, tightly wrapped bundle he had draped over his shoulder onto the ground. It appeared almost human-shaped but it made a strange noise when it hit the ground. Whatever was in it definitely wasn't made of flesh.

Ajuga stood proudly over the bagged thing before bending down and pulling the canvas back to reveal a black carapace. Szayel felt excitement well up in him, followed quickly by a shot of fear, which quickly turned into relief and back to intense interest when he realized the thing was dead and not likely to reveal anything about Karin and her bloodline in front of Aizen. The fact it was dead was almost a pity, as he would have loved to interrogate and study a live one, but this was, honestly, for the best.

"Sorry, Szay, we tried to take it alive, but it gashed out its own throat before we could stop it," Hana apologized with a short bow.

"Where did you find it?" Aizen asked, now intrigued by the find.

"We detected it in one of the Early Warning Towers. I caught its scent as we were clearing the poles of Locusts," Ajuga answered. "There were three of them but the other two managed to escape down the tunnel they had dug to get in and collapsed it behind them," Ajuga scowled in annoyance.

Szayel knew she absolutely hated it when prey escaped her, and it didn't happen very often. Grimmjow had trained his daughter to hunt in a very efficient manner. Letting a target slip away induced the same response in the young girl as it did in her father, but with less swearing since Ajuga was still fond of her rear and Karin had no problems reminded her daughter what she thought of such language. Szayel knew, from humiliating personal experience, that when Karin decided to tan someone's hide, she did a thorough job of it.

"This is wonderful, Ajuga," Szayel praised her. "Perhaps now we can learn how these Generals control the Swarm and, eventually, I may even be able to find a way to break that control, or even initiate a control of my own!"

He could learn so much from these creatures! Unlike the ones Grimmjow had massacred, this one was still in good shape. There was little damage to the specimen, other than the slit throat and more importantly, no damage to the head or brain. Of course, for all he knew, they controlled the Swarm with pheromones instead of telepathy or some other mental abilities. Now he had the chance to find out.

"The meeting is in an hour, Szayel. Do not be late."

Aizen's warning broke the Espada out of his discovery-induced glee and reminded him that he had guests he needed to keep entertained.

"Of course, Kami-sama! I will see to it this specimen is catalogued properly, and then I'll be on my way," he assured Aizen. The source of his fear took another long look at the body at Ajuga's feet, turned on his heel and left without further commentary.

That suited Szayel just fine.

Exhilaration replaced any fear he'd been holding onto earlier at the prospect of studying, not one, not two, but _three_ new Swarm specimens. Oh, he could just imagine all of the secrets these creatures could spill, just waiting to be unravelled! Even distracted, he could tell that Aizen also wanted to know what they could learn from the dead General. In addition, Ajuga's fortuitous arrival with her dead prize had diverted Aizen's interest and quelled his antagonism towards Szayel. Once again, her perfect sense of timing saved his hide. The girl had a knack for doing so and he suspected that maybe, just maybe, Aizen's gentle demeanour no longer fooled Ajuga. It wasn't as if the adults didn't _try_ to curb their dislike.. none of them wanted to find out what Aizen would do to them, or their children, if he ever suspected that they were whispering words of sedition in their children's ears in private. Therefore, if Ajuga had any inkling of Aizen's true nature it was because she had worked it out herself, not because any of them had dared to tell her or taught it to her.

"We should get going too" Hana sighed. "Our parents, or more accurately our mothers, will start having conniption fits if we don't get home."

"Hmm, yes, of course," Szayel noted, waving his hand absently at them and signalling to a few researchers hovering in the doorway to fetch a lab cart. The kids left, no doubt to return home to semi-hysterical mothers and, with the exception of Hana, proud fathers.

The way things were going, it was going to be some time before he would be getting any sleep, but that was fine. He was used to going for days without slumber, especially if he was working on a particularly important project. Fortunately, he had a mate trained to care for a scientist caught up in research, and to his delight, he hadn't even been the one to instruct her. Nemu was far more useful than his many fraccion had ever been. The only downside to her was that eating her wouldn't heal him. Then again, unlike his fraccion, she wasn't expendable.

Unfortunately, 'Kami's' reminder about the meeting meant that Aizen expected Szayel to attend and he had best not get engrossed in dealing with the new specimens just yet if he didn't want another trip to the basement of Kami's Palace. He also didn't want a repeat of the public humiliation he'd received at Karin's hands years ago, when they had been struggling to get the Defence Net up and running.

"_At least it doesn__'__t seem like I or my son will be blamed for turning that alarm off,__"_he thought in relief. He could only hope his good luck held for a while.

* * *

Well, I would say that there is interest, so here is the next chapter. It was enjoyable to see what chapter you all like the most, and to see such a wide range of responses.

I may decide to do Bi-weekly updates instead of weekly to remain ahead in my writing, at least until I have more stored Chapters and I am not worried about overtaking myself. The next Real King chapter is about ¾ done and I am really not liking how it's turning out…..

Next Chapter: Ah yes, we see a bit of Rangiku, Tesra and Tatsuki and what life's been like for them.

This Weeks Question: Lately, a lot of sites have been removing stories/artwork that have to do with characters that are under the age of 18 in the cannon story, ie Ichigo is 15 when bleach starts so he is underage, regardless of weather or not the fanfiction character is aged forward or not and are being labelled as Sex with a Minor. Now, in my personal opinion, 16 is not a minor. At 16 a good number of teens are already having sex, they are permitted to start learning how to drive and even get a job. About the only **Adult** thing they can't do is vote (give that one time, you know how greedy those politicians are for votes and it's been brought up here in Canada a time or two to lower the voting age) or legally buy alcohol. Hell, barely 100 years ago not having a child by 14 was considered outrageous.

Do you feel that it is right to label any story where the cannon character is under 18, despite being aged forward in the fanfict/art, as the work of pedophilia and that they should be removed? What age do you feel does a person no longer constitute as a 'minor' when it comes to things like having sex?


	3. Golden Chain

Golden Chain

It had been five years since the last battle, so when the alarm went off Tatsuki and Rangiku stared first at each other, and then at Tesra in shock. Tatsuki had moved first, grabbing her katana. Tesra was right behind her but Rangiku hesitated. True, Nnoitra had never rescinded his permission for her to join in the battles, but it had been some time since the last one and she didn't know if he would remember that Aizen's command for each 'pet' to fight alongside their 'master' still stood.

After a moment of hesitation, she had removed the chain attached to her anklet and had followed the other two out to do some damage to the Swarm. Haineko cackled gleefully at _finally_ being set free and even Rangiku had a smile as she sliced though the damn locusts. It wasn't until the cloud of insects thinned and the battle wound down that Nnoitra found her and showed her just how riled up the return to combat made him.

Things had been going much more smoothly between them for some time now. He still had the odd relapse, usually when a large quantity of alcohol was involved, but those 'relapses' only ended in rough sex. It wasn't the violent sort of sex he'd first used on her either and she couldn't recall the last time he'd beat her. As always, he apologized for losing his temper, when it wasn't her fault he was upset.

"Enough of the mournful sighing" Tatsuki grumbled in annoyance. "Do you want me to hit you or not?" she demanded.

"Hmm, oh, yes, please do," she replied and offered her only constant female companion a smile. She was damn lucky she had even that and Rangiku knew it.

Tatsuki nodded and slapped another card down on the table. Rangiku picked it up and looked at it before sighing and dropping her three cards down, not caring how they landed.

"Tesra?" Tatsuki asked her mate, giving him a seductive smile.

"I will pass, thank you," Tesra answered.

Tesra and Tatsuki. It was an odd pairing if Rangiku ever saw one. They weren't a couple she would have ever guessed would have come about. If Tatsuki hadn't shared them with her, she also wouldn't have imagined the details regarding _how_ it had come about either. She wished she could have been there to see the look on Tesra's face when Tatsuki had straight up asked him to Claim her while she'd still, technically speaking, had been Ulquiorra's property. Despite this, they were clearly meant for each other and Tesra treated his human mate with all the devotion a man should.

Rangiku was happy for them, she really was, but at times watching them brought about a large bout of depression. Unless Nnoitra grew tired of her, an unlikely prospect given how often and with the amount of enthusiasm that he took her, she was stuck with him for the rest of her foreseeable life. True, he was becoming less pigheaded, but he was still chauvinistic. After fifteen years, she had almost forgotten what it felt like to be a free spirit floating from party to party. Now she was lucky to get even a glass of sake once a month.

Then again, she also wasn't waking up in her Taichou's office, slaged out on the couch with a hangover, her head aching and her mouth tasting like a squirrel had crawled into it and promptly died.

"Alright, flip 'em over folks. The house has eighteen. Rangiku?" Tatsuki asked, breaking the ex-Shinigami out of her musings about her former life.

"Twenty-four," she sighed, flipping her three cards over so her companions could see them.

"Tesra?"

"Twenty," he answered with a small smile, flipping his own two cards over to reveal a pair of kings.

With the Defence Net down, and with such a large breach, there was no way to determine how many Locusts could still be hiding in the shadows. As such, Nnoitra ordered Tesra to guard her. Where Tesra went, Tatsuki followed. This led to the three of them playing blackjack, one of the many card games Tatsuki had taught them a few years ago when Aizen sent Nnoitra and Tesra out on the annual, and fruitless, Spring Bug-Base Hunt.

Tesra had offered to let Tatsuki go with him, but she had declined when she found out Nnoitra didn't plan on bringing Rangiku, and instead had remained behind to keep the housebound woman company. Rangiku had learned a lot of interesting card games from her human friend over those few weeks. Nnoitra had returned during one game and had demanded they teach him how to play. Now he held the occasional Poker Night with several other Arrancar, sometimes even going other places, which allowed Rangiku to get out of the house. Yammy was one of the players and he occasionally hosted the rotating party at the Kuchiki Estate. Rangiku actually got to tag along, to see for herself how Byakuya was doing, and explore the fabled Kuchiki gardens. Her outings there were bittersweet; as much as she desperately needed a break from her own prison it hurt to see such a powerful man reduced to being the Tenth's silent plaything, even if he showed no distress. From what she had seen of the Noble, little had changed for him since their defeat and enslavement.

"How long do you think the meeting is going to last?" Tatsuki questioned her mate with a yawn.

Tatsuki's question, once again, broke her out of her rambling thoughts. It had been a long day for them all and the sky was starting to lighten on the Eastern horizon.

"Aizen-kami's meetings frequently last for many hours," he answered.

Rangiku was exhausted as well. It had been a long time since she had pulled an all-nighter and Nnoitra had used the four hours between the battle and the meeting to have an hour-long shower, where they'd spent less time washing and more time having sex, followed by even more sex afterwards. She hadn't seen him that horny in a long while. The battle and frantic response to the crises of having the Defence Net collapse had stirred both his blood and his instincts.

"Do you think he'll kill us if we hit the sack?" Tatsuki questioned with a yawn.

"I must remain diligent, but I see no reason as to why you two could not get some rest. No offence, Matsumoto-san, but you look like you could use some sleep," he pointed out and offered her a tentative smile.

"I think I agree," she responded, stifling a yawn of her own. "Good night, Tesra. You coming up, Tatsuki?"

"Yeah, yeah, I'm right behind you."

The two women retreated upstairs, wishing each other good night before entering separate bedrooms, Tatsuki into the spare room she occasionally shared with Tesra when the couple spent the night while she retreated to the master bedroom. The bed was still a mess from the earlier vertical dancing that had been going on. She sighed as she stripped the contaminated sheets and blankets from the bed, tossing them in the corner, and pulling out a fresh set from the closet. She didn't bother making the bed properly. Instead, she simply crawled under the blankets and drifted to sleep before she'd had a chance to take three deep breaths.

Slumber caught her so quickly that she hadn't even realized she'd fallen asleep until loud, drunken laughter filtered up from the living room and a glance outside showed the sun had set. Rangiku stared stupidly at the window for a few seconds before her brain kicked into gear and told her she'd slept much longer than she had intended.

She was honestly surprised that Nnoitra had let her sleep in. He hadn't even woken her up when he returned from the meeting. Of course, he could have just gotten back from the meeting and hadn't had time to wake her up yet, but that didn't explain the drunken company and she doubted that even Aizen's meeting could have gone on for more than twelve hours. The view from the window was of the West and what light she saw was definitely from the setting sun.

She checked for Tatsuki first, but her human friend was not in the guest room. Tesra was though, apparently catching a few winks himself. However, someone was in the upstairs bathroom and a knock on the door confirmed it was the missing human woman.

"How long has Nnoitra-sama been home?" she asked quietly, which was hard to do when trying to talk through a closed door.

"Two hours," Tatsuki answered, emerging from the bathroom. "Apparently the meeting was less than stellar so he invited some people over to relieve the stress. I convinced him to let you sleep a little longer."

"How did you manage that?" Rangiku asked in honest surprise. Nnoitra preferred her to serve them drinks when he had company over, as he liked to flaunt his property in front of those he considered lesser Arrancar.

"I told him that he rode you so damn hard that he burned you out," Tatsuki answered with a shrug.

"You didn't," Rangiku gaped at her, jaw dropping at the sheer audacity of the excuse.

"I did, only not in such a crude manner. It _definitely_ stroked his ego. Men like it when their sense of self-worth gets a boost, especially when you're referring to their sexual prowess, bonus points if you do it in front of other men. Are you up, or are you going to go back to sleep?"

The thought of going back to sleep was tempting, but if she wasn't the one serving the men downstairs their drinks, the duty fell to Tatsuki, who was no stranger to poker evenings. Nnoitra always invited Tesra and Tesra was too loyal to say no. Poker evenings had become a semi girls' night, interrupted only by serving the next round of booze to whoever was dry. Rangiku shook her head and sighed.

"I should get up. It would be unfair to make you deal with them by yourself. You know how grouchy they get when their cups are empty."

"Actually, I've had assistance this evening."

Rangiku was about to ask who was helping her, when Tesra was clearly sleeping, but the answer met them at the bottom of the stairs with a tray of sake cups.

"Kuchiki-san," Rangiku greeted him, noting he was dressed in a kimono that probably cost more than everything she owned. From the design, the embroidery and the color, the designer never intended the garment for a man's use.

He returned her greeting with a nod of his head before finishing his trek to the dining room table. Cards, coins, bottles, bowls of snacks, and crumbs from the snacks covered the surface. Most of the last lay scattered around Yammy's chair.

"_Lovely. Now I__'__m going to have to shovel after him__…"_ she thought in disgust.

Nnoitra looked up as they entered and a large grin covered his face. He was apparently in a good mood, which would make her evening easier. Judging by the pile of coins in front of him, he was also on a winning streak. He pushed away from the table a bit and patted his thigh. Rangiku held back a grimace and made her way towards her master with a large amount of hip swaying before seating herself in his lap. His arms came around her and his mouth latched onto her neck, sucking loudly.

"Did you have a good nap?" he asked, the question murmured against her skin.

"Yes, Nnoitra-sama."

Then she recalled what Tatsuki had said. The young woman had been dangling one of the keys she probably used to keep Tesra content and putty in her hands in front of Rangiku's nose. Now she decided that if it worked for Tatsuki, it might work for her and she elected to try out her human friend's advice.

"Your amorous attentions often leave me thoroughly spent afterwards." She also chose to say this in the same, throaty voice that had once secured her and whatever party she joined free rounds of sake in the old days, courtesy of various hard-up male waiters.

"Don't I know it," he smirked, not at her, but at the other seven Arrancar at the table.

"_Well, that hit the mark,__"_ she thought. She'd have to figure out how to thank Tatsuki for her insight.

The game resumed and she rested as comfortably as she could in his lap, trying to ignore how sore her butt was getting sitting on his boney knee. Byakuya delivered more drinks and Yammy, as if to show off his pet in the same manner, pulled the noble into a similar position in his lap. The only difference between the two was that Yammy was far more lewd and Rangiku wondered how Byakuya always managed to keep his composure while enduring such disgraceful attentions in public.

It was almost a relief when the drinks needed a refill. Nnoitra didn't pull her back into his lap this time and waved her off after she set his drink down, though he did pull a kiss from her. She retreated to the living room and sat down on the couch in a spot where she could still see him. This way he could signal her when they needed another round. Byakuya, unfortunately, wasn't able to escape Yammy's groping and was quickly becoming dishevelled by the aggressive pawing of his person.

Tatsuki had decided to remain downstairs and thankfully put some food together for the two of them. She hadn't eaten anything since yesterday. Maybe Nnoitra had felt her hunger via his Claim on her and let her retreat to break her fast.

"You don't have to keep me entertained. You can go upstairs with Tesra if you want," Rangiku offered, before her stomach rumbled and she snatched a sandwich from the tray on the low, living room table.

Tatsuki shook her head since her mouth was full. She swallowed before speaking.

"I am fine. Besides, you wouldn't leave me alone down here with them. Why do you think I would do the same?"

"Point taken," she conceded, in between bites.

"Anyhow, I notice you were almost done with Volume 5, so I ran home on the way to the market to pick up some lunch for Tesra and I and I brought back the next four volumes in the series." Tatsuki pushed a short stack of manga volumes across the coffee table at her.

"Praise the stars! I actually finished Volume 5 two days ago and was re-reading it to kill time. Give me those!"

She snatched up the four new volumes, sorting through them until she found Volume 6.

"I was going bonkers wanting to find out if Hijima was finally going to get it on with Hikira."

"I won't spoil it for you then," Tatsuki chuckled and took a bite of her sandwich.

Rangiku was well into Volume 7, stopping, with large amount of frustration, only when the men needed more alcohol or their snacks refilled. It was getting very annoying as things were finally getting hot and heavy between the two main characters and she had been looking forward to reading this scene for a month. Rangiku's mouth begin to water and she could feel her core heating up as she stared at the images of the two very hot men wearing nothing more than very tight leather pants. Hikira had a leather harness-like thing on but that was already unbuckled and she just knew it was going to be off on the next page.

"Oi, what's this?"

A huge, meaty hand grabbed the book from her before she could turn the page and she let out a squeal of dismay, followed by a death glare at the asshole who had dared to interrupt her.

"Hey, I was reading that!" she scowled.

"Shut your trap, wench," Yammy grunted as he flipped through the book, eyeing the pictures with interest. "What is this shit?"

"It's called shoujo. It's a manga for girls full of hot guys," Tatsuki answered calmly before Rangiku could make an angry retort of her own and try to take it back.

"Yes, it's a manga meant for _**girls**_," she snapped, stressing the word 'girls.' "Can I have that back now, please? Things were getting good," she almost whined.

"Che, whatever," he grunted, tossing the book casually over his shoulder and he continued on his way past them towards the bathroom.

Rangiku made a mad dash to grab the book before it hit the floor and she lost her page, sighing in relief as she caught it before either Yammy or the fall could damage it.

"Asshole," she muttered under her breath, cradling the precious manga to her chest.

With a sigh, she settled once more onto the couch and flipped back to the beginning. She was going to have to reread the whole sexy scene to get back into the zone.

"_Although, come to think of it, I really don__'__t mind re-reading this,__"_she couldn't help but to think excitedly. She was just to the same page again, mouth watering as she got ready to turn it, where she just knew that those pants were finally coming off, when Nnoitra hollered for another round.

"_My life seriously sucks,__"_she groaned in frustration.

(POV)

It was a relief to get back to the Estate. He'd had to sit in Yammy's lap while the thug molested him in front of complete strangers, not to mention the amount of crumbs and spittle Yammy sprayed all over him as he ate. He was going to need a long bath to get all the disgusting mess out of his hair. It was very late and Yammy was intoxicated to the point of near-toxicity. If Byakuya was lucky, the Espada would retire for the night, or die of alcohol poisoning. Regrettably, that was very unlikely to happen.

The Estate came into sight and the door opened as they approached. Two servants awaited them on the other side.

"Would you like anything Yammy-sama, or will it be straight to bed?" one of the two servants questioned fearfully.

"Bed," he grunted. "See to it my pet is cleaned and ready for me to fuck in the morning," he grunted lewdly.

"As you wish, Yammy-sama," both servants intoned as they bowed.

Byakuya took that as a dismissal and left for his private bathhouse to wash away the feeling of Yammy's hands on his body, not to mention the dirt out of his hair and off of his skin. One of the Estate's many attendants assisted him in rinsing off the evidence of 'poker night' before he sank into the hot water. It was a relief to climb into bed to rest after an hour-long bath. He hadn't gotten any sleep since the morning of the meeting that resulted in the battle. Yammy had been amorous after combat ended and he spent the next four hours pinned to the nearest surface while his Master worked out his after-battle lust, broken only by the meeting, which only seemed to dam Yammy's lust so that afterwards he was almost twice as aggressive. Fortunately, that had only lasted an hour and had truthfully only ended because Nnoitra had walked in on them to invite the brute to play poker. As disgusting as it was to be pawed in front of Yammy's 'friends,' not to mention to debris in his hair, it was far preferable to being raped.

Even after all the hours that had passed, his rear was still killing him, but he didn't dare let it show. The servants were more than familiar enough with what he suffered through and silently left a jar of numbing cream beside his futon, a blessed gift from the man he knew only as 'Vendor,' who was also one of Yoruichi's contacts. He half-suspected she was behind the cream and as such, he'd almost refused it, not wanting to accept any help from the damn were-cat. However, after one of Yammy's vicious drinking binges, on a night that had left his arms, hips, and thighs darkened with bruises, his neck bright red from bite marks and hickies and half his body stained with his own blood and Yammy's cum, he had relented and used it. Pride was important, but he wasn't in a position to let pride win out over practicality. Byakuya's practicality told him that it would be much better to go through the day without pain than with it.

It had been almost a full twenty-four hours since Yammy had last raped him so he wasn't in enough pain to waste any of the precious stuff. Still, it was nice to know his staff at least thought about his comfort and tried to do the best they could with what they had. He hated granting any sort of compliment to the one holding his chain, but he had to admit that Yammy had calmed down a little over the years, at least towards his staff. He hadn't eaten anyone in a little over six years and hadn't harmed the staff in close to two years. Trust the Kuchiki elders to be capable of semi-taming such an unruly brute without said brute even realizing they had done it.

"_They do have experience taming wild children,__"_he couldn't help but to think, recalling how different he'd been as a boy before the long years and the heavy weight of responsibility weighed him down. Hisana's death had killed off what was left of the exuberant, wilful boy in him and that had been before Aizen's devastating Victory.

It was hard to remember those days now with the more recent decade-and-a-half of pain-filled memories. He couldn't help but wonder what his parents, or even his grandfather, would think of him now. Would they be devastated he had become the sexual plaything to a filthy Arrancar, or would they be disappointed in him for being weak enough to have let it happen in the first place? He wasn't sure.

Byakuya tried, on numerous occasions over the years, to break free of the Claim. No matter how much of his reiatsu he threw against it, it was never enough. Worse, Yammy could apparently tell when he made such attempts and the resulting punishments often left him incapable of walking for a week. The last time he'd tried to break the Claim, Yammy had beaten him into near unconsciousness, raped him violently and then had ordered the staff that, not only was he not to be treated, but he was to be denied food for a month. Yammy permitted him only a single glass of water a day, and he was only allowed to sleep every three days for no longer than four hours. He might have been able to survive that, except that the Tenth Espada pulled him over his lap every evening for a very harsh paddling before having the Claim violently refreshed. All that agony and humiliation matched with an equal amount of infinite pleasure.

Byakuya was still shocked that he'd retained his mind after enduring that month.

"_I will never leave you master,__"_Senbonzakura softly whispered in his mind.

There was the very reason he hadn't gone completely mad. Senbonzakura had held him while he'd sobbed brokenly in his inner world every night after Yammy finished with him while he outwardly maintained the normal calm expected of someone of his class. His Zanpakuto understood him in ways that no one ever would and could comfort him without Yammy noticing. True, the brute could still take his Zanpakuto away, but only if he wished to piss off Aizen, especially with the Defence Net inoperable.

He hated the Claim, hated it with more emotion than he'd ever felt in his life. All of his skills at maintaining an emotionless mask meant nothing when his captor could read his very feelings. A simple command from his Master could force those walls to crumble as if they were dust, and the resulting exposure was torment itself.

Then there was his silence. His throat, surgically altered by Szayel at Yammy's command long ago as a punishment, could create nothing more than pants, cries and moans. He was unable to articulate words any longer. In some ways, it was a small blessing as Yammy could not compel him to say some of the ludicrous and crass things the Claim had once forced passed his lips during the first year of his enslavement. In other ways, it was an extreme hindrance. His inability to speak rendered him incapable of running a Division again. True he still assisted Jushiro's Division, but that was only with the administrative duties. He could not exactly shout out commands.

Byakuya also had no way to communicate with the creature holding his leash short of going through secondary sources as, to this day, Yammy remained illiterate and made no effort in learning to read. Thus, he could not deflect any of the Aspect of Anger's ire when he found himself its focus. There was no way of reasoning with the beast.

Still, there were things about Yammy that confused him, such as his odd patience with children. Many a time Yammy had caught Ajuga on the Estate when she came to visit him, and yet the Espada had never done more than grunt at her and shoo her away when he was in a bad mood. Yammy never raised his fist, or took out his considerable temper, upon any of the children, not even Hana, who wasn't even a Hollow.

That was the only redeeming quality he'd ascribe to the huge bastard. Not that it absolved Yammy of all of his crimes, or even put a small dent in the massive case to be made for destroying the Espada on the spot if he ever had the opportunity, but at least it was one less concern he had to worry about when Ajuga was around. Her visits were always a highlight of his day, although he would never admit it.

The blankets had warmed up with his body heat, and he found himself drifting to sleep. He didn't bother to fight it. As soon as Yammy started to stir the monster would summon him to serve his master. Giving the amount of drinking Yammy had done this evening, the Espada was sure to have one hell of a hangover, which always put him in a bad mood. Those bad moods had a tendency to get Byakuya injured in some way.

He didn't know how long he'd been asleep, only that it was still dark when one of the servants rushed into his quarters, frantically calling for him. He was awake in an instant, his hand grasping Senbonzakura and his reiatsu scanning for the threat. Off in the distance, he could hear the perimeter alarms going off.

The Swarm was already back.

As much as he desired to get more rest, he couldn't help but to silently thank the crisis for giving him the chance to avoid Yammy's attentions for that much longer. For the duration of a battle, he could forget that he had been reduced to nothing more than a rabid beast's fuck toy and recapture a little of the proud, dangerous and noble Shinigami he'd once been. He could feel and remember what it was like to be in command of his own fate, to have his powers acknowledged, appreciated, and even stared at in awe as his thousands of twirling blades, each catching and reflecting the light, painted the field with the ichor of his enemies. Moreover, when the fight was done, not a hair on his body would be out of place despite the fact he would be surrounded by hundreds of corpses, shredded to ribbons.

If he was very lucky, the conflict would work off Yammy's hangover and he would be less violent with Byakuya afterwards. Yammy on a battle-high was always better than a drunk or hung over one. The former often could control his strength so the damage was less in the end while the latter had no inhibitions and often left him unable to walk for hours.

The alarm switched off just as he reached the front gates, followed by the all clear. Either it had been a false alarm or it had been a small incursion that had quickly been dealt with.

"What the hell is with the racket?" Yammy demanded with snarl.

No one dared to answer. In fact, everyone who could move had already fled. Byakuya could not blame them. The reiatsu rolling off of the Espada was utterly malevolent, so malevolent that even a dense human would have been able to detect it. It was bad enough dealing with Yammy when he was sleep-deprived; dealing with a sleep-deprived and hung over Yammy was worse than spending a year in Hell.

"I asked a question, I expect it answered," Yammy snarled, grabbing him by the front of the plain, white yukata he had thrown on and dragging him forward so they were face to face.

Byakuya cringed at the rank smell of Yammy's breath and truly wished he could speak. When Yammy was in this kind of mood he tended to forget that Byakuya was incapable of speech, and that he was the one that ordered his pet silenced in the first place.

"_I could speak for us,__"_Senbonzakura hesitantly offered.

Byakuya had never considered that possibility before, primarily because manifesting one's Zanpakuto spirit in the company of others was simply not done. There was no guarantee that Yammy would even believe Senbonzakura and would simply attack him.

"Answer the question," Yammy snarled, backhanding him so hard that the yukata tore and he collapsed to the ground.

Blood gushed out of his nose and from the cut that one of Yammy's nails had slashed open on his forehead, staining the white garment red. He prayed his nose wasn't broken when his face had hit the wooden floor. He felt Senbonzakura's rage, but there was nothing either one of them could do about it. He felt the Claim clamp around him as Yammy tried to force him to answer, but all that managed to do was to force him to make gargling noises. A fist connected with his temple and he saw stars while his ears rang so strongly he couldn't even hear Yammy anymore.

"_Please, Master__"_Senbonzakura begged, _"At this rate he'll kill us!"_

Byakuya couldn't deny that. Yammy wasn't just hung-over and sleep deprived. He was still bloody drunk and quickly getting more and more angry! Reluctantly, he agreed and spared some of his reiatsu so Senbonzakura could manifest beside him.

"Please stop, Yammy-sama." Senbonzakura requested as he materialized.

His sudden appearance startled the Espada, who stared at the Zanpakuto spirit in confusion, thankfully breaking the growing storm or rage before it reached a point that the brute could no longer be reasoned with.

"We do not know why the alarm went off either. Perhaps they were just testing the system, since the Net went down, to make sure it still works," Senbonzakura offered.

Yammy stared at Senbonzakura in clear confusion. It would seem that the idiot was still completely out of it. One could even question if Yammy even understood he was being addressed.

"Fucking racket," Yammy grunted, straightening up. "Bed, now!" he ordered with an irritated bark. "I am too damn tired right now t'deal with this shit. I'll talk t'you in th'morning."

Byakuya pulled himself to his feet, adjusting the torn yukata to cover his body and holding back a wince of pain. Senbonzakura returned to his inner world without another word. It was with great relief that Yammy didn't stop him from returning to his own room, and another relief to note that one of the servants had left a steaming cup of mint tea for him, as well as a bowl of warm water and a cloth to clean the blood from his face.

He gingerly washed the blood away before settling down in the typical Jinzen position in the center of his futon. Most of his thoughts floated to his inner world while leaving just enough of his consciousness outside to drink the soothing tea. Senbonzakura was waiting for him, and the two sat under the tree that had once been the only living thing in his inner world, barely a sapling back then, when his Zanpakuto had been returned to him.

His inner world was still in a state of terrible decay and disrepair, but the one sprout had grown fifteen feet tall now and the area around it had fresh verdant grass. Even the small hut a few yards away seemed recently repaired. The healing was slow, and the conditions often reversed themselves when Yammy got exceptionally brutal with him, but he was healing.

It took half an hour to ease his mind and numb the pain in his body enough that he could fall back asleep. The late night interruption just meant that Yammy was going to be all the more irritable when he did wake up. Byakuya silently prayed the alarms would not go off again tonight and he intended to bring the issue up tomorrow with Jushiro so that the older Shinigami could address it at the next meeting.

Who tested alarms, assuming it was a test and not a small incursion that had been quickly dealt with, this late at night so soon after a battle without warning anyone? Byakuya decided that Yammy wasn't the only idiot roaming the Seireitei at this point.

* * *

Set ups, got to love them, although, most of these set ups are not going to end well. Anyhow, thank you all so much for the reviews. I am very much pleased to be seeing more of a response on Part 2 than I ever got on Part 1. Although, I suspect half of you were reading on the Adultfan site. I am more pleased to see that you all agree with the stupidity of the new ruling force that seems to be sweeping through several webpages.

This Weeks Question; How much are you willing to pay per season of your favourite Anime? For me, depending on # of episodes and whether or not they actually managed to get the translations right, no more than $100 for any with 30+ episodes a season or $50 for 18-20+ episodes. None of that 3-5 episodes for $20+ a package or season 1 part 1 bullshit unless if it's a really long season, like 60 episodes.

Next Chapter: Back to Karin and Grimmjow, and we see what I mean about some of that 'set up' I mentioned.


	4. Pride

Pride

Grimmjow awoke in the late afternoon, highly disappointed that the spot on the bed next to him was empty. His disappointment lessened when Karin returned to their bedroom with skin glistening from a shower and wearing nothing more than the towel wrapped around her damp hair.

"Fuck, I could wake up to that every day," he declared and leered at her.

"Not with language like that," she snorted, walking past him and seductively swaying her hips just to torment him as she did so.

Oh, the hips definitely got his attention. Grimmjow watched a tiny water drop trickle down from her hair to linger on the tip of one breast before falling to the floor. The sight brought him up to a full salute. He rose up out of the bed and stalked up behind her as Karin stood before their wardrobe. She didn't even flinch as his hands wrapped around her to grab her breasts, the flesh shower-warmed and pliable beneath his fingers.

"You know, this ability of yours to see reiatsu can be a serious downer at times," he complained, disappointed he hadn't taken her by surprise.

"I shudder to think what it would be like NOT to see you coming," she retorted, leaning back into his embrace and swaying her body with his.

The friction of her bare behind rubbing against his straining arousal proceeded to drive him insane. All he wanted to do was to toss her back down onto their futon and ride her until he passed out.

"Not now," Karin said firmly, clearly reading his mind.

"Hmm?" he questioned innocently.

Karin turned in his grasp so they were face-to-face. He captured her lips in a kiss before she could protest, and for a moment she fell into it, but eventually she pushed him away just enough so she could speak.

"I have to go to work in ten minutes and I am already clean. I do not want to have to shower again," she said with more resolution this time.

"What if I don't want you to go to work?" he questioned with a growl, nibbling her neck as he did so. Her body was so warm and flushed against his and it was only made him ache for her all the more. She sighed against his shoulder.

"As much as I would love to play hooky, the person I answer to lives three doors down and knows I am in perfect health," she reminded him.

She pushed more firmly against him, and with a groan of frustration, he let her push him a step back. A harsher shove forced him to take another step and he stumbled on the edge of their futon. One more push sent him pitching backwards, until he landed on his rump on the top of their blankets. Before he had a chance to recover or protest, she was suddenly kneeling before him and her hands shoved his chest one more time, getting him to lie down.

"Insatiable," she smiled at him, shaking her head in amusement.

Before he could question what she was up to, her head ducked down and her lips locked around his straining erection. He gasped and arched into her mouth, pleasure racing down his spine as she sucked him into the warm, moist cavern of her mouth. Her hands grasped his thighs and pinned him down as she let out a growl of complaint at the involuntary thrust he made.

She so rarely offered him oral pleasure. He'd experienced this maybe a dozen times in the ten years they had been together sexually, and each of those times he recalled the first time she had done this and how he had felt knowing that this was Kurosaki's sister doing something so intimate, so personal, without him even needing to coerce it out of her. It was a delicious reminder of the moment that he knew he had fully corrupted the bastard's baby sister.

Now he hardly ever even thought of the hybrid he'd once obsessed over. Somewhere along the way, he replaced his vicious fixation on one Kurosaki with an unquenchable hunger for another… or, at least, a _former_ Kurosaki. After their little fight and argument years ago, Karin had taken to using his family name, and rightfully so now that they were mated.

All other mental reflection on his part instantly vanished as her tongue lavished him, making him tremble at the sensations she caused. He dug his hands into the blankets in a vain effort to ground himself because he didn't want to harm her by grabbing her hair or head. In his current state of bliss, he didn't have the ability to mind his own strength.

He panted heavily as her mouth worked him and he squirmed about in the bedding. Karin paused and he managed to catch his breath just enough to glance down his body to meet her eyes. She grinned at him in a feral manner, lips firmly fastened around the shaft in her mouth as she increased the suction. She never dropped his gaze and a solid suck sent his back arching and his semen gushing from his body to fill her mouth. His orgasm seemed to last for an eternity and by the time the euphoria died down enough for him to think, let alone see, straight, Karin had tossed the towel she'd used to wipe her mouth onto his chest and was already dressed.

"I'll see you after work," she purred at him as she sauntered out of the room.

He watched her go before collapsing back on the rumpled sheets. He remained there for a good ten minutes while he waited for the room to stop spinning. Shit, that woman knew how to make his legs weak and still, to this day, could milk an orgasm out of him that would leave him exhausted for hours. It was moments like this that he was glad he had once thought to use her as bait and then, when she was older, accepted the deal to screw her in exchange for protecting her sister.

Recovered enough that he could at least walk without collapsing, he made his way to their bathroom to take a shower of his own. He emerged with a towel wrapped around his waist to see Ajuga sitting at their table with a scowl on her face.

"Morning," he greeted his daughter. "What's got your tail in a knot?" he questioned.

"Aizen wants to interview Hana, Diaemus and I over capturing that stupid bug," she complained.

"Which bug?" he asked, confused.

It was true that the kids had discovered two new species, but the way Ajuga said 'that bug' implied that there was something more going on. It had been a week since the battle and Grimmjow had to wonder why Aizen had waited until now to ask questions about whatever it was that they'd found.

'_Probably because everyone has been so busy with the Net down,'_ he decided.

"I'm talking about the one we found, the one that looks almost human. Szay was very excited when we brought it in, and oddly enough, seemed really happy it was dead."

Then Ajuga frowned in confusion.

"Anyway, Aizen wants to know how much of their conversation we overheard before they noticed we were there and tried to escape, even though we all told him, three times already, that we couldn't make out the words. It's not like they speak our language anyway," she growled.

Grimmjow only followed half the conversation, his own mind whirling. They had never told their daughter about her Royal Lineage. The fewer people that knew, the safer the secret was, and the only human-like bugs he knew of were the Generals. In Grimmjow's opinion, too many people already knew about his daughter's real bloodlines for his liking. He definitely didn't enjoy the fact that Aizen had taken the opportunity to pay any attention to his daughter, even if it involved a subject that was, from the outside, valid.

He studied his daughter, unhappy with the fact she was as grown up as she was. It seemed like yesterday that she was still running about on all fours and coming up to him bursting with pride with her latest small kill dangling from her mouth, much to Karin's frustration. Now, she was almost old enough to think about finding a mate of her own, and he felt his hackles rise at the thought.

In his opinion, not one damned Arrancar in Aizen's army was good enough for her, or for that matter, strong enough to fight his way through her father to get to her. As the attempt two less-than-smart Arrancar made on little Vindula last year proved, that didn't mean some of those unworthy fucks wouldn't try.

Ajuga and Hana were _both_ coming of age and would soon draw the attention of those looking for a mate. Hana, at least, could control and hide her reiatsu. In addition, everyone knew that she was the daughter of one of Starrk's pets. As a Shinigami, she was also a less tempting target. Ajuga, on the other hand, preferred to let others know precisely how strong she was. What made her doubly attractive was that she was not only an Arrancar, but also a naturally born one at that. No one had been foolish enough to look at her suggestively yet, other than the one altercation with Barragan, the same one Ulquiorra had intervened in and damn if that hadn't galled him to have to thank the Fourth for that one.

"Oh, Papa…"

"Hmm," he pulled his wandering thoughts back to the present and silently vowed to put some serious thought into how he would terrorize every Arrancar in existence with a public statement about what he would do to them if they thought the wrong way about his only child.

"Keep it down," she stated simply, her ears flat against her head as she shot him a look of disgust.

He couldn't help but to laugh, earning him a death glare. If he was honest with himself, he felt more than little relieved that she found the idea of sex revolting. That meant she wasn't interested in finding anyone yet. Still, maybe he should have 'the talk' with her, or better yet, see if he could ask Harribel to do it. Mating was different for women of any species and Ajuga might be more comfortable having that conversation with another female instead of her father. Unfortunately, Karin was not a Hollow and didn't know what Hollow females went through. She also didn't know how to return a Mating Claim, or even cast a regular one herself, should a fool attempt to Claim her. Karin cast Claims considerably differently than a Hollow did and again, neither he nor her mother wanted Ajuga to know that Karin could cast a Claim at all.

"No promises," he offered. "Blame your mother, she's…."

"I don't want to hear it," she scowled angrily at him. "That's just… so _wrong_," she muttered. "Anyway, I better get going. I gotta meet up with Hana outside her Division. Diaemus is going to catch up to us at Szay's."

He really, truly wanted to escort his daughter to this meeting. He had no love and even less trust for Aizen, but he had his own assigned duties and Aizen had been particularly moody since the Net went down. The fact they were meeting up with Szayel gave him a little peace of mind. It was still strange to think that Szayel would sooner die than see any harm come to the children. If being violently tortured and raped at Aizen's hands hadn't caused the scientist to squeal what he knew about Ajuga and Karin's heritage to spare his own hide, putting them in harm's way, then nothing would make him do so now.

'_Of course, his continued existence as an Espada hinges on Karin__'__s whim. At any minute she could retract her Claim and he would become nothing more than a blubbering brat,__'_ he thought wryly. '_After that, he__'__d be someone__'__s lunch.'_

"Later," Ajuga called. She waved as she left, the door whispering as it slid shut behind her.

With a sigh, he pulled himself up. He had his own duties to perform after all.

(POV)

Karin had a massive headache. She had happily forgotten how much paperwork a battle created. Worse, their Division was the one responsible for coordinating the Rukongai Districts and with the Net down once again, they had to get those patrols back up to full force and make sure the civilian force worked in conjunction with them.

Once Szayel determined that the Defence Net would hold, at least for a while, many of those civilians had joined the Academy. The Shinōreijutsuin's administrators dropped the normal entrance requirements so that anyone who could wield a weapon stood a chance of admission, regardless of their reiatsu levels. As a result, Jushiro and Nanao had informed her that one of the topics discussed during the last dozen Taichou meetings was the possibility of starting up a sixth Division.

"Karin, can you deliver these to Jushiro?" Nanao asked, pushing over a stack of papers her way.

"Are you sure he needs these right now? We could always just give them to him at dinner," she suggested with an amused smile.

It was an old running joke between them. Although they had exchanged paperwork at home on occasion, Jushiro had actually been the one to inform them that he forbid conducting Division business on his Estate, unless something made that business unavoidable. He had learned, long before either of them had been born, that one needed a sanctuary and that most things could wait until the next morning without the universe ending.

"I was hoping you would bring lunch back with you," Nanao added.

"I knew there was a second reason. Consider it done," Karin assured her.

She accepted the stack of papers and departed with the promise to bring back something edible. In fact, she stopped off to pick up the food first. If she knew Jushiro and Byakuya, which she did, then she also knew that neither one of them had probably thought to bring lunch.

Bento boxes in hand, she rapped on the door to the office of the 2nd Division before entering, and nearly dropped everything as she stared at Byakuya in surprise. It was very, very hard not to burst into laughter and she utterly failed at holding back the smile of amusement.

Both men had looked up at her when she entered and Byakuya let out a sigh before returning his attention to the papers before him.

"Why do I got a sneaking suspicion that Yammy, somehow, managed to get his hands on those Yaoi shoujo manga that Tatsuki and Rangiku like to share, specifically _Yuumagure_?" she asked with a shake of her head.

Byakuya let out another unhappy noise and nodded his head. Karin figured as much since the elaborate woman's kimono Yammy had forced him to wear for years had been exchanged for tight leather black pants, a black leather harness and matching straps around his wrist, biceps, waist and throat, all with little clips on them that were intended to latch to each other for bondage sex play. She suspected he was wearing similar straps around his ankles and thighs, as that was specifically what she recalled Hikira wore in said manga. Not that _she_ had read it or anything of course, she had just seen the pictures Tatsuki had shoved under her nose…

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, every woman for miles will be staring at you with drooling lust instead of confused pity and silent laughter," she offered.

The glare he sent her made it clear that he was not amused.

"Not that I ever entertained either thought," she assured him, holding up her hands and waving them in denial. "I brought you two lunch since I know neither one of you have stopped since setting foot in the office."

She held up the bento boxes as a peace offering, one that both men accepted with gratitude.

"Thank you Karin," Jushiro said and smiled at her, accepting the boxed lunch. "Did you grab one for Nanao as well?" he questioned.

"Yes, and before you ask, I made sure to get one for myself as well. I plan on dragging her nose out of those papers long enough to at least eat. I think I managed to blot out the memory of how much paperwork we had before the Net went up."

She paused to give both men a glare, "…and I don't see those pens going down and that food going into your mouths. Do I need to hand feed you?" she threatened. "Or send Ajuga and Hana in," she added for good measure.

"No, no, we're eating," Jushiro quickly assured her, taking the lid off the top of his bento and picking up the chopsticks.

A warning look Byakuya's way made sure the noble did the same. Karin nodded in satisfaction as the two men began to eat. Despite her best efforts, her eyes kept sliding towards Byakuya. She found it difficult not to stare at the… ensemble… that Yammy had forced him into and not because the Noble actually looked good in it. It was because she couldn't help but daydream about Grimmjow wearing such clothing. Oh yes, the naughty thoughts entering her head about what her mate would look like swathed in a similar leather get-up definitely did nothing for her composure.

'_Damn, corrupting bastard,__'_she couldn't help but to think with a mixture of fondness and irritability.

She needed a distraction and she needed it quickly. She didn't want to turn her back to Byakuya, as that would be rude, but it was getting very difficult to remain focused.

'_I expect that many women walked into poles and tripped over their feet when he walked to work this morning,_' she couldn't help but muse.

"Did Starrk and Lilinette leave this morning for their own patrols?" she asked instead.

"Starrk did. Lilinette is helping Szayel out with the new specimens, or so she said. It could just be a lie so she wouldn't have to patrol. She finds doing so boring and dreary," Jushiro answered, a hint of fondness in his voice.

"Just so long as it wasn't a lie so she could stay home and attempt to cook dinner unsupervised again," Karin warned and made a face at the memory.

Properly supervised, Lilinette was capable of making a good meal. When she wasn't, she tended to go a little overboard with the spices. She would also attempt to make something Orihime had recommended to her, and then spring it on the rest of the unsuspecting household members. It was a hard to decide which outcome was worse, or had the potential to do more damage to the average stomach.

They shared a bit more small talk before Karin excused herself so that she could return to Nanao and the two of them could eat together. She tried to keep her thoughts on a professional track while on her way back to her own Division, but it was very hard with the mental images racing through her mind. Oh, to see Grimmjow dressed up in that outfit Yammy had forced Byakuya to wear.

'_I wonder if Byakuya would be willing to sell it to me. He didn__'__t look too happy in it. He and Grimmjow are about the same size.._. _Actually, I think Grimmjow is a bit taller than he is by several centimetres. Still, I bet the vest and straps would still fit, and it__'__s not like the pants would stay on for long anyway,__'_she couldn't help but to think lecherously.

'_Damn it all, I used to be such a nice, respectable girl,__'_ she groused good-naturedly to herself.

"What's got your head lost in the clouds?" Nanao asked, breaking Karin out of her daydreaming as she breezed through the door, managing not to walk into the frame while mentally drooling.

"If you saw what Yammy made Byakuya wear, your head would be right up there with mine," Karin chuckled, shaking her head.

"Oh?"

Karin went on to explain the latest fashion trend Yammy forced upon Byakuya while Nanao ate, and nearly choked on her food, having also read the manga in question. Tatsuki freely shared her books, since she was the only one that really had access to someone who could supply her with them.

'_Bless, Tesra. He would do almost anything for Tatsuki, and that includes returning with things from the Living Realm on the occasion he actually gets a mission there,__'_she thought fondly of the shy Arrancar.

She'd occasionally considered asking Grimmjow to bring her back something during one of his few assignments there during the five years of relative peace, but at the same time, she was doing everything she could to forget about her life there. This was her home now and nothing was likely to change that. The only thing she truly wished for was word on how Yuzu was doing, but it would be unfair to ask him to snoop around for that information as it would, undoubtedly, bring him in conflict with Ichigo. She wouldn't be able to live with herself knowing that one of her requests had resulted in the two of them hurting, or even killing, one another.

She really wished her last words spoken to Ichigo hadn't been hurtful ones, but she had needed him to run, to get away before he got hurt or got her family into trouble. She didn't even want to think about what Aizen would do to them if he felt that they were sharing information with the Escapees. It was bad enough that she still met, from time to time, with Yoruichi.

'_I could, perhaps, ask her how they are doing,__'_she mused. _'…and find out if anyone ever told my family about Ajuga.'_

She knew that at least three members of that band knew about Ajuga, and one of them hardly seemed like the 'keep a secret' sort of girl. Karin still felt guilty for not telling Yuzu that she was pregnant before her sister had managed to escape with Ichigo to the Living World, where she belonged.

The real reason Karin hadn't done so yet was because she didn't want to be in the woman's debt, and because she feared the answer. She had hurt her brother badly, abandoning him for the man that had tried to kill him, several times over in fact, and had said some harsh things, things she wished she could take back.

"Karin? Karin? **Karin**!" Nanao practically shouted the last one. Karin jumped in her seat and looked at Nanao.

"Ack! Oh, sorry, I was… thinking," she apologized. Nanao frowned at her.

"Fantasize about Grimmjow in leather straps another time. Are you going to eat or am I going to have to sick the girls on you?" she threatened.

Karin couldn't help but to laugh, having just used the same threat against the men earlier.

"I am eating, I am eating!" Karin promised her, digging into her own lunch.

She managed to keep her thoughts straight for the rest of the day, and even caught up on her paperwork before it was time to head back to the Estate. To her relief, Lilinette hadn't played chef. Hana and Ajuga were in charge of the kitchen this evening, with a disgruntled Diaemus and a cheerful Vindula assisting.

"Vindula-chan, what brings you by?" Karin asked curiously. She rarely saw the child without her guardian and a quick scan told her Renji was nowhere near.

"Everyone was too busy putting stupid little machines together to pay attention to me," she pouted unhappily, "…so Hana-neesan invited me over to help," she explained and beamed happily up at the older girl.

"They're building the new ground probes designed to detect any future attempt by the Swarm to tunnel under our defences and come up behind us," Hana translated.

"Ah," both women replied, understanding now.

"You are always welcomed here, Vindula," Nanao assured her with a smile. "If you have everything under control here, then I am going to go wash and change into something more comfortable."

"As will I," Karin added.

It didn't take long to find clean clothing and return to the large sitting area just off of the main dining room. Each set of suites had their own kitchens and living spaces, but most of the time they tried to sit together and used the communal one. It was an odd, mismatched family, but a family nonetheless.

Karin noticed that Nanao chose to wear the pink kimono that had once belonged to Hana's father. Karin had learned quite a bit about the late Shunsui from Jushiro, the two having been childhood friends, and around this time of year, the anniversary of his death, Nanao would wear the old thing. No matter how many times it went through the laundry, the faded brown bloodstains appeared set in. They would still be there, Karin guessed, when the garment finally went the way of all things and fell apart.

Hana had never met her father. He'd died before she was born. Karin sometimes wondered if that might not be better for her. Since she had never known her father, she didn't know the pain of losing him. Karin recalled the loss of both of her own parents and one never really recovered from the resulting pain. It only faded with the application of time. On the other hand, Hana had no happy memories of her father either. Many a time Karin found herself smiling, remembering her own father's insane antics, but she had also spent a lot of time fighting back tears when she was younger, especially when it came to what little she could recall of Kurosaki Masaki. In particular, she'd had a hard time standing mournfully alone while the other girls met up with their mothers and received praise for their accomplishments. Hana, she thought, would probably have to decide for herself whether her situation was fortunate or not.

With long practice, she forced the morbid thoughts aside and instead slipped into Jinzen, focusing her sight and thoughts on the rest of the household that had yet to arrive.

Jushiro and Lilinette were on their way to the Estate together. No doubt the female half of the first Espada had deliberately swung by Jushiro's Division to make sure that he dropped his pen and came home at a reasonable time. Jushiro did have a habit of overworking himself and if Lilinette had decided that one was supposed to come home, one came home. The deceptively strong girl didn't brook arguments.

Starrk and Grimmjow were still out in the field, but both were clearly heading back towards the city. She sent a rush of love towards her mate through their bond and a moment later felt it return, although Karin was sure that it was more lust than love. To a Hollow, the two might be the same thing.

"Dinner smells great!" Lilinette exclaimed as she all but danced into the sitting room, Jushiro following in her wake.

"It's almost done, Lili-chan," Hana called. "Can you set the table?"

"Sure thing," the younger half of the First replied. "C'mon Shiro-chan, you can help!"

"If I must," Jushiro agreed with a fake sigh of exasperation, accepting the pile of plates Lilinette handed him.

"You bet you must," Lilinette declared firmly.

Jushiro failed to hold back a grin, as did Karin and Nanao. Moments like this made Karin happy and content, a feeling that only increased when Starrk and Grimmjow walked into the chaos. The First took his usual place at the head of the table while the second one made straight for her and pulled a deep, lecherous kiss from her while giving her ass a strong squeeze.

"Gross. Keep that in your own room," Ajuga scowled at them as the girls brought in dinner on platters.

Her daughter's words resulted in a chuckle from both of them, but Karin did push Grimmjow away and she made for her usual spot at the table. Such things should not be done in front of young eyes, and Vindula was still rather young.

"Will you be staying Diaemus, or going home?" she asked the quiet boy.

"Staying, if you would have me," he answered politely.

"Does Orihime know?" Karin asked, if only to make sure.

It wouldn't be the first time Diaemus had decided what his mother was making for dinner was better off not eaten. True, Orihime did tend to stick to normal food for her mate and their son, but some days she just got so lost in her thoughts that she accidentally forgot that her mate and son didn't like cheese, chocolate sauce and pickled herring in their rice.

"Yes. Father is patrolling tonight and mother is helping out at the 4th Division."

Everyone settled around the table as Hana brought out the last platter.

"This looks excellent," Jushiro proclaimed.

"Wait until you taste it 'take-ji," Hana told him and beamed at the praise he gave to an as-yet-uneaten meal. "Ajuga-chan was the one that hunted up the chickens," she added.

"Wild ones, I hope?" Karin asked her daughter, her eyes carrying a warning.

"Of course," Ajuga complained, and rolled her eyes at her mother. "I am not three anymore, I can tell the difference between wild and domestic chickens."

"How?" Vindula asked curiously.

"The wild ones aren't plump and full of fat from roosting all day. Also, domestic ones tend to be in coops and yards and are not nearly as skittish," she shrugged.

"Oh, that makes sense."

The rest of the dinner conversation carried on with a variety of topics. Those who spent hours a day fighting and maintaining the peace greatly appreciated the relaxing domestic routine. They sent Vindula home after dinner, escorted by Diaemus and Ajuga for safety, with three plates wrapped up for her family. Karin knew Szayel, Nemu and Abisara and thus knew they would not stop for a break unless they were forced or exhaustion overwhelmed them, or Renji showed up to drag his small male charge to the dinner table.

For good measure, she pulled slightly on the Claim she held over Szayel after tracking Vindula and her escort all the way home, only letting her awareness drop once the child stood next to her father. She felt the flash of irritation at her pull and couldn't help but grin again. She 'watched' all four of them move from the workshop into Szayel's personal chambers and nodded in satisfaction, returning her attention to her own family. Everyone she cared for was safe and sound for the moment. It would seem that today was going to be one of those exceptionally rare good days.

"As much as I thoroughly enjoyed your little present earlier, I now feel the need to defend my male pride and return the favour tenfold," Grimmjow breathed into her ear before nuzzling the side of her neck, mindful of his mask fragment.

"Mmm, that's a challenge I think I can accept," she purred back, leaning contently into his arms.

* * *

Yammy will get his due, although, no matter how violent I make his death, I have a feeling it won't be enough.

Next Chapter: We see Gin

This Weeks Question: How did you discover Bleach? By yourself be it on TV, through shonen jump, artwork you saw, followed an author? Were you introduced by a friend? I found it myself online when browsing through various manga looking for something to read. It was only on the fourth chapter than so I have been following Bleach since almost the beginning.


	5. Blood Moon

Blood Moon

When a week passed after the battle and no abuse rained down on him, he figured that the Defence Net falling hadn't upset Aizen too greatly. Things had been getting dull and the Arrancar had started to become restless. The return to a state of war gave the Arrancar an outlet for their natural tendencies towards violence.

Gin lay in his little cubby, hugging Shinso to him and shivering. It was cold tonight and he had been denied clothing unless leaving the suites, all the better to note the Kanji carved into his chest by his own hand with his own Zanpakuto, not to mention fifteen years' worth of scars from various torture sessions, almost every last one visited upon him by Aizen's hand. The rest were there courtesy of others following Aizen's commands. Aizen required that he hurt those others in return, with the exception of one.

Unohana. Aizen's wife. His mistress. She had been ordered to punish him a couple of times over the years, but no matter how furious Aizen got, no matter how much she pushed the issue, Aizen had only raised his hand to his wife once. Every other time, Gin took the punishments in her stead, as Aizen was well aware how much it hurt her to see others suffer.

Unohana was absent. He didn't know where she was but if he had to guess, it would be that she was still at the 4th Division. There had been another conflict today, albeit a small one, four hours ago. The Swarm had sent a probing force, if he was to guess, to make sure the Defence Net was still down. No doubt, the Swarm, depleted on its expendable members in bringing the Net down, would need to rebuild their forces in the spring.

A gust of wind blew past him, and he shivered, his teeth chattering. His lone blanket was long gone and the floor was cold against his skin. Shinso sent him wave of comfort, but that was about all his Zanpakuto could do. Gin didn't even want to think about the consequences of Aizen walking in to seeing the small fox spirit manifest in an effort to help keep him warm.

He glared at the wide-open balcony doors, but Kami forbid him to close them. Aizen wanted the apartment aired out, or so he claimed. Gin was positive that the real reason was so he could suffer exactly like this. While they didn't get much in the way of snow in Soul Society during the winter, it still dropped well below freezing at night. Frost gilded the barren tree branches and coated the skeletal shrubs in the garden. Gin could no longer feel his fingers and toes and his teeth rattled so hard that he was worried they were going to chip.

'_Not like I ain__'__t used to this, or, at least there was a time I was,__'_ he couldn't help but to think.

He had been a Rukongai brat, living in the next-to-the-worst District, nothing to his name but a single kimono. At least that had offered him more protection than being completely naked. He'd also had Rangiku to help keep him warm, and the ratty, hole- ridden blanket they had once shared. Sometimes, he even managed to find a mouldy stack of straw and scraps of wood or twigs that would provide enough fuel for a small fire.

Another, stronger gust of wind blew through the room, bringing with it several fallen leaves to litter the clean floor. Gin let out a mental curse and forced his shivering, frozen body to uncurl so he could deal with them. He was shaking too badly and his joints were too stiff to walk effectively, so he settled for crawling. He couldn't even feel the boards under his fingers.

He gathered the leaves up and brought them to the balcony door. As cold as it was inside, it was positively frigid outside. A thin layer of ice coated the balcony. The cold burned his numb hands and shins as he moved over it. His entire mind seemed frozen and he briefly toyed with the idea of just staying there. It was too much work to make it back to his cubby and it wasn't even that warm to begin with.

'_If I died, she__'__d be unhappy,__'_he thought numbly.

He forced his body to turn about and crawl back into the dubious safety of Unohana's bedroom. The wooden panels seemed so much warmer inside than the frost-coated porch. He eyed the bed, more specifically, the blankets on it. He weighed the options of which was worse; freezing to death or the inevitable punishment Aizen would administer for daring to grab one of them in an effort to save himself. He doubted he would even feel it if Aizen flayed the skin from his back, he was that frozen.

Gin had no idea how long he lay there on the floor, fuzzily calculating the odds in his head. It became increasingly difficult as he slipped into the early stages of hypothermia. He maintained enough mental lucidly to decide that it wasn't worth it, that Aizen could mistake Unohana as being the one to have covered him. Then he would punish them both. In truth, all he wanted to do now was sleep.

He barely managed to make it back to his cubby, curling against the wall with his back facing the open doors. He was shivering so hard now he couldn't even stay on his hands and knees and had to practically roll the last little bit. Some tiny part of him that still gave a damn knew that if he gave in to the urge to sleep, he might not wake up again. He fought unconsciousness tooth and nail but it was a battle he was losing by the minute. In fact, so focused was he on that one, survival-driven goal that he never noticed that someone else had entered the room, nor did he hear them speak.

Someone threw a warm blanket over him and he was so cold that it practically burned! The hands that touched his forehead _did_ burn and he flinched away from the scalding heat. Gin heard words, but he couldn't understand the speaker, nor did he recognize the voice. The heat surrounding him from the blanket was too seductive and he drifted away into the darkness without a fight.

(POV)

Unohana was a very emotionally reserved person; one had to be when they ran a medical Division where people died under one's hands, regardless of how hard one worked to save them. Everyone praised her as the best physician and healer that Soul Society had ever had, and yet she still lost patients who were too far gone to help.

When she walked into her room, exhausted from the day's work, the last thing she had expected was for her room to be ice-cold, with the balcony door flung wide, especially on a freezing night like tonight. Gin would never have forgotten to close them. He would have made sure the room was comfortable, which meant that Aizen had been the one behind any orders to leave the doors open.

She had felt a moment of shock when she saw the pale-skinned man shaking so hard in his cubby that one could have mistaken it for seizures. Ignoring the doors, she rushed to her bed and grabbed the top blanket, pulling it over the clearly delirious man. He was so frozen that his skin numbed her hand as she rested it against his forehead. His eyes were completely unfocused and, very shortly, rolled up into his skull as he lost consciousness.

Cursing mentally, and calling her 'husband' a slew of foul words that would have caused Zaraki Kenpachi's eyes to twitch, she dragged Gin from his cubby and did her best to pick him up. It was difficult thanks to his body's trembling and the fact he seemed stuck in a fetal position. She decided he must have curled up to try to retain what little warmth he had left and his muscles had cramped, locking him in that posture. He was so far gone that she could feel the cold radiating through the blanket she had wrapped him in.

Her husband and his rules be damned, she rushed Gin to the 4th. Her staff looked up at her in surprise as she marched through the main entrance, nearly kicking the doors open so that she wouldn't have to put Gin down. She almost never returned after leaving for the day, but they scrambled quickly once she informed them of Gin's condition.

By the time she made it to one of the better-insulated rooms, a large pile of blankets awaited them. She put him down on the bed and began to layer more and more blankets onto him, going to slightly warmed ones on the fifth layer. She checked his extremities for frostbite and sighed in relief when she saw no signs of it. It hadn't been quite that cold out, but as a medic, she took no chances.

She pulled a mask over his head and warmed oxygen quickly began to flow into the man wearing it, warming up his chilled lungs and the turgid blood that ran through constricted veins, bringing it to other parts of his body. His shivering slowly subsided. They replaced the outer layer of blankets with warmer ones as needed, mindful of the blankets' temperature, as they didn't want to throw his body into shock. Once his shaking became less violent, her staff was quick to get an IV into him, the room temperature saline liquid helping him even further from the inside.

Gin's trembling finally ceased after two hours, but Unohana was hardly relieved. He broke out into a sweat now and his skin went from pale white to bright red and feverish. His laboured breathing left no doubt in her mind that he was getting sick, most likely with pneumonia. For good measure, they added an antibacterial dose to his IV and drew blood samples to test for anything specifically dangerous he may have picked up.

"You were supposed to be in bed half an hour ago."

Unohana felt her back stiffen and she turned to face her husband. The rest of her staff had cleared out already, and for that, she was thankful. She had a feeling things might just get ugly. She was very upset right now, despite her calm outer appearance.

"For what reason did you deem it necessary to do this to him?" she asked, ignoring his complaint about her whereabouts. "He is going to be hospitalized for at least a week, maybe longer if he has a relapse."

She was tempted to invent a lie that might just keep him there longer and might have if it wasn't against her code of ethics. Aizen closed the distance between them and looked down at the still-quivering form of his former subordinate, taking in his fevered appearance and his fight to breathe through fluid-filled lungs. She had just finished injecting a dose of dextrose into the IV line when Aizen had walked in. Gin's breath was so cold still that it wasn't even steaming up the inside of the mask.

To her surprise, Aizen seemed confused, but he hid it quickly enough. He was a very sharp person and as such, had probably already deduced what had happened. He also appeared very displeased, and for once, she didn't think he was angry at either Gin or her.

"The doors to your balcony were still open."

It was more a statement more than a question, but she answered in the affirmative anyway.

Aizen turned around and walked back to the door, stopping as he reached it.

"He is stable and you have an efficient staff. Be in bed by the end of the hour."

Before she could protest, he was gone. A part of her was relieved that they had escaped punishment. Another part of her felt sorry for whoever had failed to let Gin know he was supposed to close the doors. She felt slightly sickened with herself for hoping it had been one of the Arrancar guards and not one of the terrified female servants. Torture for anyone, for any reason, was a vile thing.

Still, she had escaped punishment for talking back to her 'husband', at least for now, and Gin was stable enough that most of her Division could see to his care. This was a bad case, but not the worst they had ever seen by far. Still, it was with regret that she had to turn from him and make her way home for the second time that night.

Her chambers were warm, no doubt thanks to Kido, and someone had finally, firmly latched the balcony doors and pulled down the heavy curtains. Someone also replaced the missing blanket. She'd heard the distant sound of screaming when she'd walked through the front gate of the Palace, and once again felt sick at herself for noting the voice had been male. That meant there was a good chance the culprit _had_ been one of the Arrancar.

Aizen was at her chamber door at the time he'd indicated. There were no signs on him that would indicate that he had been doing anything other than paperwork or some other menial task before he arrived.

"You are upset with me," he noted.

She sometimes wished she wasn't such a peacekeeper, because that comment could open up a thousand and one issues she had with him.

"You know I do not enjoying the suffering of others," she responded diplomatically, "…especially when there is no reason for it."

"Indeed. It has been some time since his last infraction, and he has served us well in the last few years," Aizen noted as he shed his own clothing, folding it neatly and setting it aside before approaching her.

His arousal was already fully up and she knew it wasn't her doing. It disgusted her to think that torture turned him on so much. She was his wife by force, as he had threatened to annihilate her entire Division had she not agreed, and he was hardly faithful. Most of the time he partook of the servant girls, engaging them in the more violent sex he preferred, sending them to her for healing afterwards. She suspected that he was brutal with them, not only because he had a fetish for such things, but because doing so sent a message to her, telling her that he could do this to her and there was nothing anyone could, or would, do to stop it.

He was even more violent to his other, male partners than he was with the girls. Unlike the servant girls though, he only raped his male victims when he felt they'd done something worthy of punishment. Thankfully, it had been some time since he last forced himself on either of his two preferred victims. Szayel had managed to weasel out from under him via the Claim Grimmjow had on him, as the master felt the emotions of the victim and the Arrancar made a compelling argument to leave most future punishments in the hands of the Sixth Espada and his mate. Then there was Gin, who had not been as fortunate. She still occasionally found him curled up in his cubby with his thighs stained red with blood and semen. It hadn't happened nearly as often as it had near the beginning, but it still occurred when Aizen's mood was particularly foul.

Unohana wished she could beg her husband for so many things on Gin's behalf, but she decided to settle for the most basic. There were three things every creature needed to survive; food, shelter, and warmth. Gin had the first two, although she was certain that Gin was very tired of eating plain rice. She tried to sneak some other things in for him on occasion, mild things that could not be smelled on his breath and thus betray her kindness to him.

"Is there a reason to continue to deny him clothing?" she asked

"Does his nudity offend you dear, and if so, why have you not mentioned it before?"

She almost remarked that it was difficult to see his mutilated body, but caught the words before they left her lips. Jushiro had once commented how painful it was to see others suffering and in response Aizen slashed his eyes out. Fortunately, battle-honed reflexes caused Jushiro to flinch slightly and Szayel's amazing skills had salvaged one of the two damaged eyes. Still, Jushiro had had to learn how to fight all over again with his now handicapped depth perception.

There were no more words as her husband climbed over her body. She shifted her hips to allow him to settle between them and turned her attention to the ceiling. As with every night he laid with her, silently she prayed that she would remain barren as he entered her with practiced ease. It stung tonight, as she hadn't been prepared. The tool that usually did so lay bundled up at the 4th Division. There was no pleasure for her in the act as Aizen thrust into her. This was a job on both their parts, nothing more. Her body mattered only in that it accepted his semen.

He finished with her quickly and left shortly, saying nothing. She desperately wanted to return to her own Division, but instead remained prone for ten minutes before finally getting up and heading towards the bathroom to shower his filthy touch away.

As much as she despised Aizen, he was right in that her Division could easily care for Gin without her hovering over them. It had been a long day and she needed her rest. Gin was unlikely to wake up before noon, if he was lucky.

She cast a sad look towards his cubby, noting the only things there right now were his dog dishes, one half-full of water that still had ice around the rim and the other his empty rice dish, and Shinso. She hadn't even thought to grab his Zanpakuto in her rush to get him to the safety of the 4th Division.

To most people it would be silly to think of a sword as being sentient, but a Shinigami knew better. She felt Minazuki touch the back of her mind, her own Zanpakuto imparting what little comfort he could give. She strode over to the cubby and picked up Shinso, bringing the blade back to bed with her.

"It's alright," she soothed. "He's safe and recovering as we speak. I'll bring you to him tomorrow morning when I go into work." Minazuki sent her a wave of approval as she spoke to the other Zanpkauto.

She didn't normally bring Minazuki to bed with her either, but tonight she did, holding both Zanpkauto close as she gave in to her own exhaustion. She knew Zanpakuto could speak to each other on rare occasions, and she hoped that holding them both close would permit Minazuki to communicate with Shinso. Sometimes, she wondered if Kyoka Suigetsu was as twisted as her master or if the Zanpakuto's spirit suffered in Aizen's hands at all of the evil the blade had been forced to commit over the centuries.

(POV)

Gin was almost positive he was dead. There was no other explanation for why he felt so warm and safe, as if he floated on a bed of clouds. His only regret was that Unohana had to find his corpse curled up in her bedroom floor in a naked, frozen heap, and that he had been unable to avenge the crimes Aizen had committed against Rangiku.

Then he felt a wave of warmth rush through him, and it took a moment before he realized it was coming from Shinso. He opened his mind to his Zanpakuto, awakening in his inner world. He had barely manifested before the small fox spirit jumped into his arms, whimpering and shivering. He glanced about his inner world and gave off a little sigh.

It looked like Antarctica, minus the penguins. A deep blanket of snow hid the wreckage of his inner world. The effect was like a bit of bandaging on a terrible wound. Eventually, the snow would melt, revealing the devastation Aizen had wrought on his soul when it retreated. For now, at least, it was almost scenic. Even the dead persimmon trees appeared pretty with their layer of white icing.

He could hear a voice calling for him and reluctantly he exited his inner world. It took a major effort to open his eyes. Unohana hovered over him, as did another Shinigami who was clearly from the 4th Division. This was definitely not her room and he quickly learned where he was. He was in one of the medical rooms and wrapped in several blankets, which explained the warm, secure, blissfully peaceful feeling.

"How are you feeling Gin?" she asked worriedly.

" 'ight," was all he managed to get out.

He tried to move his arm only to find it restrained. A glance down showed the IV lines even as the assistant moved to loosen the restraints now that he was awake and unlikely to pull them out in his slumber.

"That's good," she offered him a warm, gentle smile, "but it's probably the drugs. You picked up a nasty case of hypothermia, but we managed to get you warmed up without sending your body into shock. You will be happy that there was no frostbite, so all your fingers and toes will stay where they are."

That took him by surprise. He felt comfortable now and not sick at all other than the deep feeling of fatigue. He wanted to curl back up into the warmth and comfort and fall asleep again.

He tried to ask how long it had been, but she shushed him before he could even attempt to get the first word out.

"I found you two nights ago. It's evening, almost time for me to return home," she informed him sadly. "You have pneumonia, but the drugs and the healing Kido will keep you comfortable while your body fights it off. It could have been infinitely worse."

He wished she could stay here next to him, but he understood. The only time Aizen ever excused her from 'servicing' him was during or right after a battle.

"The medical protocol requires all victims of hyperthermia to stay for at least three days upon regaining consciousness so I can give you that time, at least. I want you to sleep, rest, and recover as much as you can," she ordered.

Gin could hardly believe it.

Three days! He had three whole days to drift in this paradise of warmth! He would be able to sleep in and he might even get to eat something other than plain rice! Maybe he had died after all.

Of course, there was always the chance Aizen would order him back before the three days were up. Quickly tossing that thought aside, he found himself infinitely more comfortable as Unohana removed his restraints completely and took away the oxygen mask. Unohana stayed long enough to remove the catheter, a very uncomfortable thing, and helped him stumble to the bathroom. She tucked him back into bed afterwards before sternly ordering him to sleep. It was an order with which he happily complied. Finally, she set Shinso down beside him and his hand automatically clutched the sheath of his Zanpakuto. He felt the soft pulse of Kido and that was the last thing he knew.

He woke up several other times, usually when the blankets surrounding him were being replaced by more warmed ones, but would fall asleep quickly afterwards. The smell of miso soup woke him the next morning and he had to fight not to down the whole thing like a wild dog. Even something as simple as warm soup sent his taste buds leaping for it had been so long since he'd eaten anything else.

He spent most of those three days sleeping, waking up only to eat and use the bathroom. Plain white rice never crossed his lips in those three days either. In fact, his meals omitted it altogether. He would have worshiped Unohana had she asked it of him.

Regrettably, his reprieve passed far too quickly and on the third day, she approached him with a sad expression on her face, letting him know that his respite was over. He accepted the simple white kimono and reluctantly pulled it over his thin and scared body before following her home that evening.

As soon as they were back in her suite, he went to remove the clothing, but a hand on his shoulder stopped him.

"I managed to convince my husband that such was no longer necessary, as well as a few other things," she nodded towards his cubby.

The blanket was back. It was the same one given to him fifteen years ago but right now, he couldn't care less. It was a blanket, something to keep him warm at night. He felt tears threaten the corners of his eyes, a threat that became realty when warm hands pulled his head against her chest and simply held him as he sobbed.

Had he not had the dark and painful past that he did, he might have felt a little more self –loathing for reacting so strongly to something as simple as clothing and a blanket. He'd grown up in a District where neither was easy to come by and simply possessing one or more of them could get a person killed. As such, he knew their true value and he didn't want to know what Unohana had negotiated away for their return.

"Come, Aizen should be getting home soon."

He nodded his head and straightened up, a hint of his old grin on his face.

"Wouldn't wanna dis'point Kami-sama now would we?"

He could use a bath right anyway, and the one he bathed her in was always nice and warm and smelled nice. Never mind that Aizen would be waiting for them and there was no telling what kind of mood he might be in.

"No, we wouldn't," Unohana agreed.

Thank you to those that took the time to review. I got to run and get back to writing. I want to make sure I stay well ahead and the munchkin just learned how to crawl so I am spending just as much time trying to teach him mommy's lap top cord is not a toy as I am writing.

* * *

Next Chapter: Karin gets a mission and Starrk refreshes Jushiro's Claim.

This Weeks Question: If there is one Bleach Character you hate and wish you could teleport into the Manga and strangle, who would it be and why?

In all honestly, I love pretty much everyone and feel indifferent towards the rest, but there is one character I completely despise, and that is Hinamori. She just pisses me off so much. 'Aizen-taichou' this and 'Aizen-taichou' that. Gin is obviously evil and manipulating him. Toshiro, how could you kill Aizen-taichou, never mind we are childhood friends and I should know you better than that? God the girl pisses me off. Not even Menoly and Loli are as annoying and whinny as she is, and they are pretty annoying. I did try to redeem her in my Crossbreeding series.


	6. Re Claimed

Warnings: m/m sex.

Re-Claimed

It was late and Jushiro was tired, but with the Defence Net down fatigue seemed to be the new 'normal,' as were these meetings. This one included both the Espada and acting Taichou. Normally Aizen kept these military meetings separate, but where the Swarm was concerned Aizen liked to have all of his 'weapons' in one room. At least Aizen had given them permission to speak during these sessions; meaning Jushiro didn't need to worry about coming home with new stripes on his back for bring up a much needed point.

The few, small probing attacks hadn't lasted long before a full contingent of the Swarm came down upon them again every three days. It was, perhaps, worse than what had been going on before the Net went up five years ago.

"If the Swarm can afford to continue sending such large scale attacks against us, why didn't they just send their entire military might the first time?" Nanao wondered aloud.

It was a very valid question, and one that had been bothering pretty much all of them. If the sheer numbers thrown against them on a tri to quad daily basses were to come all at once they would easily be overrun. So why did they only come every three or more days?

"Perhaps those Scarabs Ulquiorra discovered only permit a certain number to get through before their power fades." Harribel suggested. "They may only be able to maintain the portal for so long before they grow tired," she added.

"That makes a great deal of sense," Szayel agreed.

"Then why not just send more Scarabs to increase the number of portals?" Toshiro questioned.

Toshiro's questioned raised a few eyebrows, since it appeared he was questioning his mistress, but she didn't appear to take any offence to his analysis of her theory and gave him a pleased nod at the question.

"Perhaps there are a limited number of portal-makers," Ulquiorra offered.

"That is one possibility. Something that large would take time to grow, not to mention be difficult to hide in large numbers," Szayel mused.

"Why are we talking about this shit? What does it matter how many there are? They are just pathetic bugs I need to scrap off my shoe every few days," Yammy grunted.

Jushiro often wondered how someone as idiotic as Yammy had managed to survive his Gillian stage to become as powerful as he was, especially because it took time for the moron's overwhelming power to come to bear. Karin had one time muttered something about 'hulk' but he failed to understand the Living World reference and she hadn't elaborated. He got the feeling that it wasn't a compliment.

"It prevents us from doing our duties, and the stability of the Realms depends on the balance of souls," he explained as patiently as he could.

"Not my fucking problem," Yammy grunted. "Although, the fucking that comes after it is always good," Yammy laughed.

That caused the Shinigami present to feel a moment of disgust and discomfort, and even a few of the Espada gave Yammy a less than pleased look, although Jushiro was not sure all of the displeasure had to do with the blatant disgust on how Yammy treated his pet so much as it was in his language.

"It is a problem because if the Realms collapse, there will be nothing left in existence," Ulquiorra explained dryly, with the air of someone who had dealt with this sort of thick-headedness many times before. "It means that you would cease to exist."

Yammy regarded them with an expression that failed to distinguish him from a potted plant. Jushiro refrained from any further explanations, instinctively knowing it would do little good, though Harribel gave it one last, valiant effort.

"This is why Aizen-Kami didn't simply didn't extinguish the Shinigami Divisions. They are necessary to maintain the balance between realms."

"Have the recently-acquired specimens delivered up any new data, Szayel?" Unohana asked, her words, thankfully, bringing the conversation back on-topic.

"They're intriguing by themselves, but have neither revealed anything about the Swarm's origins nor do we have any clues as to what they're after. The one Ajuga, Hana and Diaemus brought in is vastly different from the rest we have seen so far. This one has a considerably different brain design. A pity it was brought in dead, but at least I have confirmed some things from the corpse," Szayel answered.

"And what might that be?" Aizen prompted.

"They definitely have a hive mind and, based on what I have seen once I dissected the General's cerebellum, I suspect are somewhat telepathic. If one member of the Swarm learns of something, the others are quickly informed. Whether they communicate entirely by telepathy, of whether there are also visual cues or pheromones at play as well is unclear right now. I also believe there is a range to their ability to communicate, but I have not been able to determine the distance."

"Is there a way to block that link?" Unohana asked.

"I would need to see it in action before I could develop such a method, Unohana-sama. I am not certain what tactical advantage it would give us anyway. We already know that the Generals rarely come onto the field and they seem content to keep throwing the drones at us."

"Do you believe they will try to tunnel past our defences again?" Starrk asked sleepily.

"I am not certain. This was the first time since the invasion started that we have seen insects along the lines of the two other types. After dissection, I've concluded that their sole purpose was to bring the Net down from the inside. Either it took the Swarm this long to think of such a tactic, or it took this long for them to breed them. They may even be low in numbers and might be worth something to Swarm, something not worth risking unless absolutely necessary, like the Portal Scarabs.

"We know nothing of the Swarm's home dimension. For all we can determine these new specimens could even be the equivalent of mercenaries. The only true way to learn more would be to capture one of these 'Generals' alive and interrogate it. We know they speak our language because Karin-sama heard them do so the first time they showed up."

"Oh?" Aizen questioned, suddenly interested.

"It was in the report ten years ago," Szayel answered in a fear tinged voice.

"How are the depth sensors coming along?" Aizen's change of subject seemed to make Szayel relax a little, but only a little.

"We have already deployed several hundred in all directions and we're now closing the gaps. At present it will be pure luck if they dig past any of the sensors, but it's better than no warning at all."

"Are we done listening to this shit now?" Yammy demanded. "We have heard all this crap before."

"He's got a point." Nnoitra rolled his eyes, as if agreeing with the Tenth Espada annoyed him to some degree. "Nothing is more annoying than listening to prissy-boy here rambling on about his work."

"I am not prissy," Szayel huffed.

Jushiro held back another frustrated sigh as the meeting dissolved into yet another bitch fest between several of the Espada. It was getting late and all he wanted to do was head home to sleep. He glanced to his side and noted that it would appear that Starrk was already sleeping. He almost wished he dared, but he didn't want to know what Aizen would do if he was caught not paying attention. It was one thing for their Masters to be disruptive; it was another thing for the slaves to do so.

He forced his thoughts away from that subject before he could begin to dwell on it. It was much better not to recall that they were all possessions now, both to their Masters and to Aizen's fickle whims.

"Enough," Aizen eventually called the meeting back to order. "Each species has its own unique reiatsu, does it not?"

"Yes, Kami-sama, but that field is so infinitesimal that you have to practically be on top of them to detect it," Szayel replied. "You would have better luck finding a butterfly than any member of the Swarm.

The room was silent for a moment before Starrk suddenly broke it.

"Karin," he stated simply.

All eyes turned his way, most of them in confusion. Even Jushiro couldn't understand what Karin had to do with this, but the sudden look of astonishment on Szayel's face, followed by a look of glee, indicated that at least one person at the table knew where the First was going with the comment.

"Of course!" Szayel exclaimed, obviously catching on to Starrk's idea right away.

"What about the bitch?" Nnoitra growled and Grimmjow hissed at the Fifth for insulting his mate.

"She can physically see reiatsu," Starrk explained.

"What good does that do us when you said the amount they had is infant… Infitest…. Small?" Yammy demanded.

"The first time the portals opened she saw them," Szayel explained. "In fact, she was able to spot them while resting. If she were to meditate, she might be able to spot them opening from here, and then someone fast like Starrk or Ulquiorra could get to them in time, perhaps take one alive. If I could study a live specimen I might be able to isolate the energy used to make the portals and counter it, or at least set up a warning system to alert us the moment the portals open and where they open," Szayel exclaimed excitedly.

"Summon your mate, Grimmjow," Aizen ordered.

"She's probably sleeping," the Sixth responded, eyes narrowing a little.

Grimmjow was clearly not happy with Karin suddenly at the center of Aizen's attention, and Jushiro didn't blame him, but he also couldn't blame Starrk for bringing the idea up. As much as it sometimes hurt, the good of the body was more important than the good of a single person.

Aizen turned his gaze Grimmjow's way and everyone in the room abruptly felt the weight of Kami-sama's reiatsu, even if they weren't the ones targeted. Grimmjow's only concession to the discomfort of the growing energy pounding into him was a small, pained hiss before finally relenting and informing Aizen he was summoning her.

"Karin's vision is limited," Jushiro spoke up into the suddenly oppressive silence. "She has duties to perform as well. She will not be able to 'watch' for invaders at all times," he pointed out, hoping that he could at least keep this potential responsibility from burning out the young woman.

The Tercera, in her quiet manner, proposed a compromise.

"The Swarm makes a raid approximately every three days," Harribel stated. "If Karin's ability to see reiatsu extends far enough, I would suggest getting her to start looking in two days' time. Sooner or later she will catch the portals."

"Indeed," Aizen agreed. "If she can't detect her target from here, she will simply have to go further a field. As most of the attacks seem to come from the North, we'll start by deploying her in that direction. While we wait for her arrival, what else have you learned about the new specimens?"

"Not much worth reporting. Their musculature and their exoskeletons are quite sturdy, capable of moving a great deal of earth in a very short amount of time. Had Ajuga, Hana and Diaemus not been at the tower to reactivate the alarms, these new specimens would have destroyed all of the towers they infected before bringing the Net down. We would have never known we were under attack until they were in the city," Szayel reported.

The thought terrified Jushiro. His family was out in those Districts, sent there to keep his mother and his younger siblings from the attentions of Aizen and the invading Arrancar forces, and from Starrk. Many of his younger siblings would not have been able to withstand the Espada's reiatsu even though the man himself showed no interest in harming anyone, unless Aizen's orders said otherwise. It was best if his family stayed out of the picture.

Karin arrived shortly, a look of sleepy irritation on her face as she walked over to stand beside Grimmjow.

"Ah, Karin…" Aizen greeted her warmly, "…how good of you to come."

"I trust there is a good reason as to why I was summoned, leaving Hana, Ajuga and Lilinette unattended?" she questioned.

Several people in the room shivered, chief among them Starrk. Those three could get into serious trouble when left unsupervised for more than an hour.

"We would not want that," Aizen smirked in amusement. "Fortunately, this will not take overly long. How far have you managed to train your 'sight' since last we spoke of it?"

Karin scrubbed the sleep from her eyes, frowned at the question, and didn't answer right away, although Jushiro felt that was because she was thinking it over rather than being deliberately disrespectful. Aizen must have thought the same thing for he patiently waited for her answer, taking a sip of his tea as he did so.

"I am not certain Aizen-kami," she answered honestly. "It depends on who I am tracking. Someone like Starrk-sama I could see much further away than someone like, say Tesra-san."

"Remember the day by the lake, when you saw the portal opening?" Szayel prompted. "Think back."

Karin turned her attention his way and gave a nod of her head, indicated she remembered the event.

"How far away do you think you could spot something like that again?"

"Again, I am not sure. I haven't had much chance to measure the distance. I do know I can 'see' Grimmjow," she replied and nodded at her mate, "some distance out of the city without needing to enter Jinzen, but I am also intimately familiar with his reiatsu and know what to look for. The portal was a lot less bright but I might be able to spot one if I was looking at the right place at the right time," she bit her lip nervously before turning back towards Aizen, as if uncertain that she wanted to say more.

"If you recall, Kami-sama, I did spot the ones that opened up not far from Ulquiorra-sama when we last tested my vision. He was far from the city's borders, but again I had been tracking a familiar reiatsu and more or less stumbled across it."

"Indeed," he agreed. "Starrk, please take Nanao and one of Szayel's communicators with you. Head due west, dropping her off every twenty kilometers and moving away from her. Karin, you will track Nanao and tell us when you are unable to see her anymore," Aizen ordered, lacing his fingers together. His stance told everyone in the room that there would be no arguments about this.

Starrk looked less than pleased, an emotion mimicked on Nanao's face, but neither one of them objected to the order. Both of them accepted a communicator from Szayel before exiting the meeting hall.

Karin took a seat next to Grimmjow and started to relax, entering into the familiar state of Jinzen, a state he had taught her so many years ago. She had never discovered a Zanpakuto, which was the original intent in teaching her the technique, but it still served her well.

"Do you need us for this boring shit?" Yammy questioned after a minute of silence.

"Got somewhere to go?" Nnoitra demanded in a huff.

"More like a body to fuck," Yammy smirked, and then scowled. "I never got to finish playing with my pet before the meeting was called."

"Four hours and you were not done yet! Your pet clearly doesn't know how to please you," Nnoitra sneered.

"Maybe the real issue is you just don't got the stamina to keep fucking your broad for that long," Yammy countered.

"This is not a topic acceptable for a war meeting," Ulquiorra interjected.

"What, your bitch not giving you any?" Nnoitra asked the Fourth with a sneer.

Ulquiorra blinked those unnerving green eyes at the Fifth.

"My relationship with Orihime is none of your concern. She does, however, come willingly to my bed.'

"Oooo, nice one," Grimmjow chuckled softly. "He got it from me though, so of course it w…oof!" he was cut off as Karin elbowed him smartly in the stomach, despite still being in a small trance.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Nnoitra demanded with a curl of his lip. "You think I can't get my broad into bed without using the Claim?"

"Well, you do got that chain on 'er..." Yammy grunted and the Fifth turned his one-eyed glare on the Tenth.

"From what I have heard, I ain't the only one that's got my pets in chains," Nnoitra smirked. "The only difference is, I don't make her parade about the public in them. Although," Nnoitra suddenly laughed, "got to admit your bitch looks good in 'em."

"You should try some of the shit out in those books of hers. Some of the best fucking I've ever had," Yammy laughed.

Jushiro wanted to cover his ears with his hands. He didn't want to listen to this conversation. Judging by the pained look on Toshiro's face, the young man didn't want to hear it either, the topic centered on his ex-Fukutaichou and long time friend, one whose master hadn't always treated her nicely. Karin was twitching as well.

"Ulquiorra is correct, this is not an appropriate topic, least of all in a meeting before Kami-sama," Harribel interjected, this time with more force.

Anyone with half a brain could feel the chill in her voice. Perhaps it was something she'd picked up from the young man sitting next to her. Thankfully, it had the intended effect.

"Che," Nnoitra and Yammy said at the same time, ending this round of bickering and snickering at least.

Jushiro silently thanked the blonde and even Toshiro shot his mistress a grateful look. She had probably been able to feel his distress and if it was one thing Jushiro had learned over the last five years, it was that the two were becoming closer; much like how himself and Starrk stood on even ground despite the Claim.

Barragan had remained rather quiet the entire meeting, a look of supreme boredom on his elderly features. Jushiro was just tired and punchy enough to picture the Second opening his mouth and telling everyone to get the hell off of his lawn.

"We have come to the first stop," Starrk's voice came over the radio Szayel had been playing with.

"Excellent. Karin?" Aizen turned his gaze her way.

"I can see Nanao-Taichou clearly," she answered. "I would suggest another fifty kilometers instead of twenty. I am not even deeply in trance and I see no point in wasting time going every twenty when she registers this well."

"Agreed, Szayel, if you would?"

Szayel relayed the information over the radio. Now that the two were out of the city getting from point to point took less time since there were far fewer obstacles in their path. At each point Karin relayed her information.

"It's getting harder to see her without going really deep into trance," Karin finally announced almost an hour later after the experiment had started. "I can still see Starrk-sama easily, but Nanao-Taichou is getting really fuzzy."

"How far out are they?" Aizen demanded.

"About 400 kilometers from the edge of the city, well beyond our warning systems," Szayel answered. "No one other than Starrk would be able to travel that far so quickly."

Starrk was the fastest of them all and the distance he had easily traveled in an hour would have taken all of the other Espada a day, maybe more.

"Indeed," Aizen agreed. "You may order them to return."

Szayel did so. Aizen turned his full attention to Karin, who blinked a little as she came out of the meditative state.

"We need to obtain one of these Portal Scarabs. Starting in two days you will enter Jinzen and attempt to spot these portals, at which time you will alert Starrk and Ulquiorra to their co-ordinates so that they may attempt to procure one. Ulquiorra," Aizen turned his attention towards the Fourth "…you will leave in stealth and wait until the Swarm has carried on, upon which time you will incapacitate and secure one of the Scarabs."

"As you wish, Aizen-kami," the green-eyed Arrancar said.

"I shall inform Starrk when he returns. The rest of you are dismissed for tonight."

Everyone stood and bowed with a chorus of 'yes, Kami-sama' before departing. Jushiro did not move, however. He waited for Starrk's return, sending Karin a reassuring smile when she looked at him in concern.

"Is there something you wished to speak to me about, Jushiro?" Aizen asked.

"No, Kami-sama, I am merely waiting for my master's return," he answered. "Starrk-sama indicated that he wished to see me about something this evening," he added before Aizen could further question him.

"I see. May I trust you to inform you master of his mission? My wife is waiting for me after all."

"Yes, Kami-sama," he bowed, ignoring the comment about his long time friend Unohana. Letting it get to him would be a waste of time and would do nothing for her.

"So be it. Good night, Jushiro," Aizen bade as he rose and left the room.

"Good night, Kami-sama," he responded.

This left him alone in the room. Jushiro, subjected to the bickering between ill-tempered Espada this evening, relished the peace and quiet. It allowed him to ground himself a bit as well. Sitting there, he imagined he was back in a world that had long since ceased to exist. With the hall and the late Soutaichou's chair empty, it was easy to pretend that the Winter War had yet to occur. He half-expected to see a tall, familiar dark-haired figure in that ridiculous pink and white flowered haori of his waltz into the room, sake bottle in hand, humming a tune whose lyrics he knew better than to sing out loud lest they earn him a swat from Nanao-chan. If he concentrated, he could almost hear Shunsui's footsteps. In the end, to his regret, the humming vanished and his breathing remained the only sound in the room.

When he judged that enough time had passed for Starrk to return with Nanao, he got to his feet and met them by the front doors. Jushiro passed Aizen's orders on before falling into step beside Starrk as they walked back to the Estate. Nanao took his other side.

"I fear this may exhaust Karin." Nanao frowned. "It's a lot of territory to cover on top of her other duties."

"She would probably argue that it's worth it. If we can detect the portals, we could close them before too many get through," Jushiro pointed out.

"Perhaps," Nanao reluctantly agreed.

They made it back to the Estate, which was thankfully still in one piece. So far, it seemed like the girls hadn't even noticed Karin had slipped out; Hana busied herself with some complex mathematics that Szayel had given her. Ajuga had her calligraphy set out and appeared to be planning some new poetry piece and Lilinette lay on her stomach with a pad of paper and coloured pencils, rendering what looked like the aftermath of a particularly gruesome battle. It was a frightfully quiet evening after such a nerve wrenching meeting.

Jushiro followed Starrk to his own suite while Nanao joined her daughter and the other girls in the main living room. The game of shogi that he and Starrk had engaged in, off and on, for the last few days was still set up and when Starrk took one side of the board, Jushiro took the other. He was good at the game, thanks to hours playing against Shunsui and Yamamoto, but he had never been as good as those two when it came to overall strategy.

'_Oh Shunsui, you stupid, self-sacrificing fool__…__ You should be the one here, not me,__'_he couldn't help but to think sadly. 'I_ would truly have loved to see you and Starrk play a game, not to mention see you with Hana-chan.__'_

"Jushiro," Starrk called.

"Hmm, sorry, distracted," he muttered as he looked at the board. "There has been a lot going on." It wasn't exactly a lie.

"Do you wish to simply proceed without relaxing first?" Starrk asked, looking up at him with heavy-lidded eyes.

"Proceed?" he questioned in confusion before what Starrk was getting at dawned on him. "Of course, I hadn't even realized it was due," he said softly. "I am sorry, but I don't really feel like playing shogi tonight. Perhaps some tea though?" he suggested.

"Tea will be fine," Starrk agreed.

"I will bring it to the room."

Starrk nodded and rose before retreating into the bedroom while Jushiro made his way into the small kitchen all the suites had. He set the water going and looked through his stash, searching for the herbs he knew promoted relaxation and worked as anti-stressors.

'_Over a thousand years old and the only partner I__'__ve ever had is him,__'_he couldn't help but to think with a mixture of bitter amusement.

He'd had several girlfriends during his Academy years and even one or two after graduating. Then, he'd been promoted to the rank of Taichou. What little time he would have had to engage in romance evaporated after that. He's dated and cuddled, but had never gone beyond that. He respected women too much to engage in one-night stands and he always, inevitably, had an attack long before he reached the point in the relationship that led to sex. Nothing was a bigger turnoff than seeing one's boyfriend coughing up blood.

The hissing of the kettle interrupted his dim thoughts. There was something comforting in the simple task of preparing tea. He warmed the mugs with a little of the excess hot water before putting everything on a tray and bringing the lot of it into his bedroom.

Starrk was sitting on the futon, already naked. Jushiro set the tray down in the center of the futon before removing and hanging up his own clothing. By the time he joined Starrk on his futon both cups were full of tea. He picked up his cup and took a small sip, sighing in contentment. The tea helped to sooth his nerves, taking the edge off of the tension that, for him, always seemed to accompany this act. He took a deep whiff before letting out another sigh, letting some of his stress leave with the exhale. They finished their cups in companionable silence.

Jushiro stared at his now empty mug for several seconds before finally setting it back down on the tray next to the one Starrk had finished. Starrk moved the tray off of the futon, setting it on the small table nearby so it was out of their way.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Starrk asked.

The male half of the First Espada had asked him that question fourteen times before. Tonight was the fifteenth. Sometimes Jushiro wondered what Starrk would do if he said no.

'_Probably nothing,__'_he guessed. '_I__t is what Aizen would do to me if I let the Claim fall off I would need to worry about. Of course, there is always a chance that another Espada would attempt to Claim me by force.__'_

He was strong, but a prolonged battle would wear him down. The only one he could think of who might make a go of it was Yammy and he definitely didn't want to end up enslaved to that monstrosity. He would probably die before a month was out, given Yammy's perchance for brutality, and while his tuberculosis was well into remission thanks to Karin's help and Living World developments, he'd had the illness for so long that it had sunk stubborn roots in his lungs. Large amounts of stress still brought up the odd attack. It was nothing like before, but they were bad enough that Unohana still insisted he spend a night at the 4th Division when they did occur, just to make sure he wasn't regressing.

"Jushiro?"

"Sorry, thinking again. Yes, I am sure I want to do this," he answered the earlier question.

He shifted until he was on his hands and knees and brushed his hair to one side so Starrk could have access to the side of his neck. After repeated bites, the fang marks on his neck from the blood draining part of the ritual had faded into scars. It was one way that a non-Hollow could tell that another was Claimed. The bites usually ended up leaving at least a mark or two on the one taken.

Starrk's fingers unscrew the lid to the jar of lubricant and after a second, the first oil slicked finger began to probe his entrance. Starrk was in no rush and took the time to prepare Jushiro's entrance properly. It was always uncomfortable but at least it wasn't painful. Jushiro silently bore with it.

It stung when the First finally penetrated him, his walls stretching to accommodate the Espada's girth. He knew the pain would not last long, that blinding pleasure would soon take over. He felt Starrk's overwhelming reiatsu begin to swirl around them and he forced his own to submit to that power. If he didn't, the Claim would not last as long, which meant it would have to be refreshed sooner. Starrk pulled back, and then thrust in, sending a wave of his reiatsu into Jushiro's body with it. A sensation that Jushiro could only describe as _absolutely carnal_ followed its wake and he had to bite his lip to stop the groan that wanted to escape his mouth.

Starrk set a firm and steady pace, both of their bodies rocking with the movement. Jushiro started to pant and his body broke out in a sweat as each forward thrust emptied another wave of reiatsu into his body. His hands curled into fists and he tasted blood as he bit his lip a little too hard in an effort to hold back his moans. His body began to tremble and he began to get a 'stuffed' feeling as Starrk poured more and more of his power into the body below his. It licked along his nerve endings, crawled over his skin and he could feel it with each calculated strike against his prostate. Fourteen years of practice had apparently taught Starrk exactly where to aim.

This was why a high-powered Hollow could not Claim a weak one. The recipient had to be able to handle their Claimer's reiatsu as it rushed into them or they would perish. It was one reason why Starrk had never properly Claimed Nanao this way. She was a strong woman, but there was little guarantee that she would be able to take the kind of power that Starrk used to Claim Jushiro. Nanao was nowhere near as powerful as Jushiro and even the older Shinigami had issues with Starrk's reiatsu levels.

There was a small pause in the pace and Jushiro braced himself for the end. Sharp fangs tore into his neck at the same time that his vision went white, his muscles clamping down on Starrk's cock. He barely registered that they were both cumming as Starrk finished the Claiming ritual. It wasn't until the last shudder of Starrk's body against his that he realized he'd arched his back and his mouth was open in a silent scream.

He was prepared for the collapse afterwards and managed to let one arm go limp first, bringing them both down sideways so Starrk's weight didn't crush him, as had happened a time or two. The only sound in the room was that of two sets of lungs desperately panting for breath. Claiming left both participants exhausted and Starrk didn't even have enough energy left over to untangle their bodies. It was uncomfortable, but Jushiro was too far-gone himself to remedy the situation. It took a good fifteen minutes before Starrk shifted enough to fall out of him and Jushiro grimaced at the feeling of cum running out of his body.

His futon was dirty now and considering the mess they had made of it, not to mention _what_ the mess consisted of, he couldn't ask any of the women to clean it. He was too tired to do anything about it either. It had been a long day and his grip on consciousness slipped away without him noticing.

(TIME)

Jushiro woke with a slight start as something coarse, warm and wet ran across his thighs and rear. It took him a second to realize it was a warm washcloth. Starrk must have woken up as he was now cleaning them both. He probably should have stopped the First and taken over the chore himself, but he felt so drained that he drifted off to the not-unpleasant feel of rough cloth on his skin. The second time he woke up, he saw the pale winter sun streaming through the window. He found that odd since his room was on the west side of the Estate.

He looked around the room in confusion, not recognizing it at all. He used to know every corner of the Estate, since he'd spent a lot of time playing in each room as a child and the fact that this room seemed unfamiliar bothered him. Then Jushiro shifted and discovered the presence of another body next to him, a warm arm draped over his midsection, snuggled up behind him. He jolted upwards and twisted around to see who the hell was in bed with him.

"Uhhg. Either go back to sleep or get out so _I_ can go back to sleep," a dishevelled Starrk ordered.

"Why am I in your room?" Jushiro asked softly.

"Your room was a mess." Starrk answered, staring up at him with glassy, sleep-heavy, grey eyes as if the pale-haired man ought to have figured that one out on his own.

"Oh," Jushiro replied and he couldn't help blushing.

He didn't argue the fact that waking up in a bed with clean sheets was preferable to waking up in a sex-soiled one. He dimly recalled waking up to Starrk cleaning them both up and he was grateful for that too. He'd woken up a couple of times over the years to the residue of their releases caked to his thighs and he could think of fewer things that disgusted him more than that.

"I should get going," he announced and climbed out of bed. That only left one problem.

"Closet," Starrk yawned before he could ask if he could borrow something to wear. Jushiro opened it and pulled out what looked like a bathrobe. It would have to do.

"Thanks."

"And kill the light on your way out," Starrk requested sleepily, scratching his bare chest with one hand.

"Sorry, not even Shunsui was ever able to find a way to destroy the sun, not for lack of trying mind you."

The memories were pleasant ones and a smile touched his lips as he recalled the many, many mornings Shunsui had woken up with a horrible hangover thanks to over indulging the night before, and not all of them were from their academy days. The number of plots Shunsui had thought up to destroy the sun numbered in the hundreds, and some of them were rather amusing.

Starrk's response was to mutter something about 'curtains' and pull the blanket over his head.

Jushiro closed the curtains before he left and made it back to his own room to find Karin in the middle of remaking his bed.

"Karin-chan, what are you doing here?" he asked embarrassed.

Karin rolled her eyes at him before answering.

"I'm tidying up. You both looked fairly burnt and the last thing we need is Ajuga-chan asking about the strong scent coming from your room when she brings you your afternoon tea."

He hadn't thought that far ahead and suddenly he was very glad that Karin had taken care of the 'evidence'.

"Oh, how did… ah… were we loud?" he asked, a little nervously.

"Bright," she answered.

"Bright? Oh, you mean, you saw…?"

He rubbed his reddening forehead with one hand, partly to cover up his thorough embarrassment. If she noticed it, she didn't say anything.

"Yes. I know how exhausting Claiming can be. Aizen ordered me to rest for the next two days, presumably so that I'll be in top form to start 'looking' for the portals. While I'm at home, I figured I would be nice and clean your room up for you."

"It's appreciated," he assured her.

Grabbing his uniform, he disappeared behind one of the screens to change into it.

"Nanao has already left for work and she sent one of those black butterflies to Byakuya to let him know you would be in a little late today. Your breakfast is on the kitchen table and there's some tea warming in the pot on the hearth," she continued, as he got dressed.

"Compliments of Ajuga-chan?"

He could hear Karin pause and guessed she was smiling.

"Of course. Making your tea is a task she takes seriously, you know."

"She is a marvellous child," he replied.

That earned him a deep sigh.

"She's not much of a child anymore," Karin said reluctantly, then wondered aloud. "Was I ever that eager to grow up?"

"I don't think you had much of a choice," Jushiro answered softly, coming out from behind the screen, now fully dressed in his uniform.

"No, I guess not…" Karin agreed. "It's just… she's so careless and now that the Defence Net is down she's been so eager to help fight against the Swarm that she's going out onto the battle field no matter how much I tell her not to. All it would take is one scratch. One scratch, the simple taste of a drop of her blood and the Swarm will know she's my daughter and that Royal Blood flows through her veins. She would become a target, just like me."

Karin ground the heel of one hand against her temple in frustration.

"I want to tell her the truth, to warn her of the danger, but I fear she might let the truth slip out to the wrong person. You know how it is. The more people that know the less secure a secret becomes. I don't think I would be able to handle it if anything were to happen to her."

Jushiro nodded in understanding. It had been difficult letting Hana become a Shinigami, to know she could end up deployed to the Living Realm to fight Hollows. Now that she was part of a Division, her superiors expected her to complete all the duties required of a Shinigami, and that included fighting the Swarm.

"It's a hard balance, isn't it? We are so proud of them for their achievements, and yet we want to hold them back and keep them safe. How does Grimmjow feel about Ajuga fighting the Swarm?" he inquired as he retrieved the tea Ajuga had prepared for him.

Karin sighed.

"Proud. Happy. He's excited that she is old enough to join the hunt now. He would never admit it, and would be upset at me for mentioning it, but I think he is worried as well. You know how much he loves Ajuga and he would never forgive himself if something were to happen to her. I don't think he's worried about the Swarm though. Ajuga… and Hana too, are growing up."

That was another problem. It had eaten at the adults in the little makeshift household for some time now. Hana and Ajuga were getting old enough to draw the attention of Arrancar. Ajuga had some protection at least being an Espada's daughter, and Grimmjow had quite the violent reputation, but Hana did not. Hana could hide herself well though and so far, no one had started looking her way, at least not yet.

"I understand. I worry about them both every day. At least Toshiro can keep an eye on Hana without being overly protective," he pointed out.

"Very true," Karin agreed, and then paused while tugging a clean pillowcase over one of the two pillows Jushiro kept on his futon. Her expression suddenly turned thoughtful.

"I wonder… do you think it would be possible to get Harribel to watch out for them as well? I don't know her, but Toshiro hasn't indicated to me that she's abusive in any way when she does come up in our conversations. I can tell that he isn't unhappy with her, if that says something. Apparently she is not so trusting of men and she's very protective of her fraccion…." Karin trailed off, as if her thoughts had taken yet another turn into the land of 'what-ifs'.

Jushiro considered it. He knew little of the lone female Espada either, but after fifteen years of observing her, he knew she rarely spoke unless she had something intelligent or reasonable to contribute, didn't engage in the often-petty arguing that occurred so often among the shorter-tempered males and he had never seen a bruise or a mark on the young man she kept. If anything Toshiro seemed… almost content these days. At first he'd attributed that to Toshiro's growth in height and a maturing of his looks, something he'd always been touchy about since his promotion to Taichou decades ago. Now Jushiro wondered if the change in the other's demeanour involved his mistress.

"It's not a bad idea, in theory. What's your reasoning?" he asked.

"Well, fraccion are safe from Claiming, aren't they?" Karin asked.

"As far as I understand yes, but you might want to confirm that with Starrk or Grimmjow."

He felt a smile steal across his face as he caught on to her idea, and with the information he currently had, it seemed like a surprisingly sound one.

"I think I just might do that," Karin exclaimed, and gave him a wide smile. "Now hurry up and eat. You are already late for work," she admonished him.

"Yes Sir!" he responded, and saluted her smartly before tucking into breakfast.

* * *

Huge hugs for everyone that took the time to review. It means a lot to me to know that people are reading this and get's the fingers a writing. Seriously, /love you guys and girls. I find it amusing that part 1 is getting a large slew of hits suddenly. I see anywhere from 100-150 hit's a day for part 1 with barely 20-30 for this one.

Next Chapter: Grimmjow breaks down and asks for help with Ajuga. The world is surly ending.

This Week's Question: If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be and why? I am not sure where I would want to go more, Africa to see the Serengeti or Australia. Both have amazing wildlife and I would love to get to see it in person.


	7. Double Request

Double Request

Grimmjow did not like asking others for help, but in this case he grudgingly admitted that he needed assistance. Karin could not inform Ajuga about the things she would need to know as a mature, female Hollow and Lilinette wasn't exactly a good source of information. Out of all the female Arrancar he knew, and he knew a number of them rather intimately, or he had at one time, Harribel was the most reliable, safe and least likely to make an issue over a request from him regarding the finer points of raising a daughter.

Then there was the other issue of protection. Karin had approached him with the idea of setting both Ajuga and Hana up as someone's fraccion. He'd wanted to reject it outright until he gave it some serious thought and realized there was a lot of merit to it. Ajuga would never agree to be her father's servant, nor Starrk's, or Starrk-ji as the girls still referred to him. Szayel was out of the question, giving his somewhat demoted position as 'Karin's pet,' despite the fact he still, technically, held his rank as an Espada. Unless both girls wanted to spend their time behind the security of the Science and Research Division's' walls, Szayel could offer little protection and the one person in that establishment he thought might prove a challenge to anyone trying to mess with the young women already had his hands full with Szayel's runts. There was no way in hell that he would let Yammy, Nnoitra or Barragan anywhere near the girls, considering their natures.

That left Ulquiorra and Harribel. He would admit, grudgingly, to trusting Ulquiorra with his daughter and with Hana, but becoming his fraccion and the resulting change in their status would strain their relationship with Diaemus. That left Harribel.

Harribel was one woman he knew would do right by Ajuga and Hana. The Third Espada was very fond and protective of any female Hollow she ran across and she had the power to back up any threats she made. Unlike her unlucky predecessor, she also had no issue with dishing out some needed violence if necessary. If anyone would be willing to rip the balls off of a man for looking at a woman the wrong way, especially one of her charges, it was Harribel.

He knew all of this, and even understood it on an intellectual level, but it didn't make having to slink over to her place to ask for aid any easier. His pride and his ego were busy snapping at him for considering it and both continually barked at him about the whole thing on the way over. Grimmjow told those aspects of his psyche that they could go jolly well fuck themselves. He reminded them that this was for his _daughter_ and he would do damn near anything for her, even grovel. His second brain also reminded him that when he did things like this it always made Karin happy, and a happy Karin was an _amorous_ Karin.

That reminder seemed to mollify his more prideful and egotistical sides. His little vixen had learned some rather interesting _tricks_ over the years that she only used when she was very, very pleased with him.

'_Later_,' he admonished himself. '_We__'__ll be rewarded __after I get this shit done. Aizen ordered her to rest so that means she__'__s just waiting back at the den for me and we got all day and night to play,__'_ he told himself with a lecherous smirk. However, he did make sure that the smirk was gone once he reached his target's front door.

He arrived at the large house Harribel had claimed for her household. It wasn't nearly as big as the one they lived in, but it was still decently sized and, interestingly, seemed a little more defendable. He guessed that 'old habits die hard' applied here. He walked up to the door and banged on it before taking a step back and waiting impatiently. The door slid open a moment later to reveal Mila Rose.

"What do you want?" she growled suspiciously.

"To talk to Harribel," he replied, looking over his fingernails in an attempt to look nonchalant. "May I speak with her?"

It irritated him to be polite, since he had to work at it, but this was important. The dark-haired, dark-skinned woman glared at him a moment longer before stepping aside so he could enter. She led him through the house and out back where a large pond took up most of the courtyard. Harribel stood in the middle of it, soaking in water up to her midriff. From where he stood, Grimmjow could also tell she was naked. He had to hold back a shudder; he hated large bodies of water and he questioned her sanity at taking a dip during this time of year. It was the middle of winter for crying out loud! The water had to be freezing because blue-tinted ice ringed the entire edge of the pond.

"Harribel-sama, he wants to talk to you," Mila Rose called to her mistress.

Harribel turned to face him, her sea green eyes boring into his sky blue. He returned the gaze, trying to appear as non-threatening and as casual as he could. It was one thing to break down and ask her for help; it was a completely different thing to do so in front of her blabber-mouthed fraccion.

"Thank you, Mila Rose, you are dismissed. Take the other girls to the market and pick up something for dinner," she ordered. "Toshiro will be home at his usual time."

Mila Rose looked like she was about to protest, but Harribel shifted her gaze to her fraccion and the girl's mouth clacked shut. She stormed away, shooting him a wary, distrustful look as she walked by.

There were a thousand remarks he could have made to the departing fraccion's back, but he managed to bite his tongue, barely. The Sixth was not here to stir up trouble and picking a fight with one of Harribel's charges would not endear him to her in anyway.

Harribel exited the pond and wrapped a towel around her waist while he looked away. Her bone fragments covered at least some of her breasts, so she didn't bother covering herself up any more than that.

"Why are you here Grimmjow?" she asked, tying the cloth around her hips the way one would a sarong.

"I…require your help with something," he reluctantly admitted, figuring that honesty would get him the farthest in this situation.

She raised a golden eyebrow at him, but made no further comment, leaving it to him to explain himself.

"Ajuga…." he trailed off, suddenly embarrassed to have to have to resort to this conversation.

Her eyes suddenly lit up in understanding and she motioned for him to follow her back into the house. She held up one hand, indicating he should stop, slid back the door to a room he hadn't realized was there and stepped inside, closing the door behind her. She emerged a few minutes later properly dressed in her usual uniform.

"Follow me please, Sexta" she asked and led him to what looked like a private study.

The room was warm, which helped put him at ease. Harribel motioned him towards a chair and then sat down herself. Then, to his surprise, she opened a drawer and pulled out a sake bottle and two small cups before filling them both.

"Let me guess. Your daughter will soon reach maturity and your human mate does not know what it means to be a Hollow female. She does not know how to cast Claims, how to counter unwanted Claims, and she does not understand what it means to take a mate," Harribel filled in the blanks for him.

Grimmjow swiped the cup that he assumed was his and took a deep drink of the alcohol, wishing what was in it was stronger than regular sake.

"Yeah, all that shit," he agreed, relieved he wouldn't have to elaborate on a rather uncomfortable subject.

"And you wish for me to teach her these things?"

"It would be better than leaving it up to Lilinette," he admitted grudgingly. "Kami only knows what she'll tell the girls."

Harribel let out a low, throaty laugh, a sound he had honestly never heard from her. Then again, when he usually encountered her there was little to find funny.

"I believe I can be of assistance in this case. I will talk to her about the things she needs to know. Shall I approach her on my own or would you sooner introduce us?"

"Whatever you think is the best way to go about it," he shrugged.

"I shall approach her on my own then. Most girls would find it awkward to have their father hovering over them in matters such as these. Is there anything else, Grimmjow?"

Well, that was one bird down, now to kill the second one. He was still a little apprehensive over this idea, but it did make sense.

"Both Hana and Ajuga are getting older, and they are going to need protection soon."

Oh how it hurt him deeply to even say such a sentence, to suggest to anyone that he could not protect his own child.

"I cannot always be there, not when Aizen sends us out on missions all the time…" he trailed off, uncomfortable with this next topic, even more so than with what he considered 'girl stuff.'

Harribel waited patiently for him to continue and didn't try to push him, for which he was thankful. She was one of the few Espada with whom he'd never had a conflict with and the deep ocean of patience within her was just one of the reasons why.

"It was actually Karin's idea, what with me being Ajuga's father and Starrk being her surrogate uncle. It would be just as awkward for Ulquiorra because of Diaemus. Nnoitra's a fucking bastard and a little unstable…"

He was rambling now and he knew he was making a hash of what he wanted to say, but he tried anyway.

"Grimmjow, what is your mate's request?" Harribel interrupted in that calm voice of hers, cutting him off.

"She was hoping that, if Ajuga and Hana agreed to it, you would take them under your wing," he finally ground out.

"You mean as fraccion?" she asked, seeking clarification.

He gave his head a stiff nod.

"I see, yes this makes sense."

"It's just an idea for now, something to protect them since we all know no one can Claim another's fraccion. Karin and Nanao wanted to hammer the details out with you if you think it might work," he grumbled.

He really didn't like the thought of his daughter being _anyone__'__s_ fraccion, but until she was older and finally came into her full strength, it would keep her tail safe from people like Yammy and Barragan. Actually, when he really thought about it, those were the only two he felt posed any real threat to his daughter, other than Aizen. Maybe some of the lesser Numerous might try something simply because they had more combat experience than Ajuga, but he was fairly confident that his daughter could hold her own against most of them until assistance arrived, and assistance was never too far away with Szayel constantly monitoring her via her bracelet.

'_At least he had better be if he knows what__'__s good for him,__'_he thought firmly. He might not actually hold the little weasel's Claim, but that wouldn't stop him from pounding the guy if he let anything happen to Grimmjow's little girl.

What an odd thought that was. To be _comforted_ knowing Szayel was keeping a close eye on his daughter. A decade ago he would have strangled himself for thinking such a wild thing.

"If it is alright with you, I will speak to Hana and Ajuga about this first before working out the details of the arrangement with their mothers. It would be best to see if they are even interested or willing to go through with the idea. I will not force them to take my protection against their will."

That, Grimmjow told himself, was one of the many reasons he had agreed to talk with the Third. She was one of the most decent Arrancar out there, despite her often cold and aloof manner. He knew she cared for her charges. He'd seen what happened to those idiots that had made attempts on her fraccion. She'd even been the one to drag the two who had stupidly tried to snatch Vindula before Aizen and provided testimony against them. Those examples, left in many small pieces across the sands of Hueco Mundo and smeared across a cliff face in the Seireitei, justified his vow never to try to seduce any of the three girls into his bed, despite the fact he thought it might be easy to do so. He hadn't been interested in any other chick since taking Karin, but there was once a time the thought of luring one of the Trés Bestias into bed had held some appeal. Now it seemed like the quickest way to becoming a throw rug or a wall hanging in Harribel's well-appointed study.

"Is there anything else I can do for you Grimmjow?" she asked.

"No, I…" he really, really hated this part, but managed to force it out, "thank you."

"You're welcome."

He couldn't see it, but something about the expression in her eyes told him she was smiling, and not in a mocking way either.

(POV)

Toshiro stretched, wincing afterwards as several vertebras in his back popped. Such was the torment of those that spent hours hunched over a desk. The decommissioning of the Defence Net definitely caused an avalanche of cursed paperwork, and a large increase in the number of forms he hated filling out the most: death notices.

"Taichou, can I get you anything?" Hana asked worriedly. "Tea, perhaps?"

"No, I am fine," he assured her.

There had been a few people unhappy about Hana getting the 7th Seat so soon after graduation, but she deserved it. In addition, the girl and paperwork seemed made for one another. In fact, never had the Division's books been so balanced before nor had its finances ever been as stable. Nanao's daughter apparently had more than her fair share of talent with numbers and letting her loose on the Division's accounting had been a stroke of genius. He still wasn't sure how she had managed to bring the mess up to date in such a short amount of time.

"Alright," she said, and turned her attention back to the ledger in front of her, humming softly as her pen brushed across the pages as she recorded receipts and added up this month's expenditures with her feet swinging in the air behind her.

They were in his office, but whereas he sat behind his desk, Hana preferred to work while sprawled out on the couch on which Matsumoto had once spent so much time recovering from her latest bender. He was glad Hana looked nothing like, nor acted like Matsumoto. It wasn't because he didn't like or didn't miss his old Fukutaichou. He did miss her far more than he would ever admit to anyone, but it was easier for him to have the girl around _because_ Hana reminded him of no one but herself. It would be difficult to work with her had she resembled his unfortunate friend. Moreover, the fact she wasn't into hiding large amounts of liquor in his office drawers and cabinets was a mark in her favour.

Toshiro turned back to his own papers and held back a depressed sigh. No matter how many of these he filled out, no matter how many years passed, doing these never got easier. Ukitake had once informed him that it never did, not even to those who had been doing it for over a millennium.

The door to his office opened without the intruder being polite enough to knock. He shot his glare up, mouth open to deliver a sharp admonishment about manners, but the words died in his throat and he straightened up instead.

She didn't stop by often, leaving him to run his Division unimpeded. If she'd needed to speak with him about something personal she would have waited until he returned home to bring it up. Therefore, she was here in a professional capacity, under an order from Aizen, or whatever she needed wasn't going to wait until suppertime.

His eyes looked down the hallway behind her and he discovered several gaping subordinates who had apparently forgotten that they had jobs to do. One dolt even had the temerity to forget where he was going while staring at Harribel's legs and walked straight into a wall, missing his intended door entirely. Toshiro sent a death glare to the males of his Division openly ogling the third Espada.

"Get back to work," he growled, letting his freezing reiatsu flood down the hallway.

"Yes Sir!" they shouted back, quickly finding somewhere else to be and rushing comically back to their offices.

He shook his head in exasperation and turned his attention back to his Mistress, who seemed unfazed over the whole incident though the light in her eyes when she looked at him was warm enough. However, considering the crew she normally had to deal with, she was probably long since used to such antics. Toshiro also considered that he might have become a bit more protective of her honour as well since they had taken their relationship up a few levels. He wouldn't say they were 'married' or 'mated' per say, but they were definitely 'partners with benefits.'

"Harribel-sama," he acknowledged her once he was sure his Division was once more collectively behaving itself. "What brings you here?"

"I want to speak with Hana. She is a member of your Division, correct?"

"Yes," he agreed with a frown. "But why do you need to speak with her?"

He figured he knew Harribel well at this point, considering they had spent the last fifteen years living together. He didn't think that there was anything malicious about her request, but it still made him uneasy. What business could an Espada, other than the First and the Sixth, possibly have with Hana?

"That is between me and her for now," Harribel answered, though her tone wasn't dismissive or cold. "Please summon her."

"I am right here," Hana called, popping her head up from the back of the couch.

The startled blonde turned to face the girl and Toshiro caught just a hint of embarrassment from his mistress, having failed to notice the one she was seeking was already present. Toshiro knew how well the girl could hide her reiatsu. She wasn't as good as Ajuga, by her own admission, but her control was still quite admirable, as well as impressive.

"What can I do for you, Harribel-sama?" Hana asked curiously, her tone polite.

"I have a few things I would like to discuss with you and Ajuga. It involves a request on the part of your parents. Does your schedule permit you to drop by my Estate on your way home after work?" Harribel asked.

Toshiro made a mental note to make sure nothing detained the girl this evening. If his work did run late there were plenty of laggards outside of his office with plenty of time on their hands.

"Yeah, I don't see any reason why not," Hana frowned, tossing a confused look at her Taichou, as if expecting him to know why Harribel was suddenly interested in her. "Have you asked Ajuga yet or do you want me to let her know?"

"I will be speaking to her shortly." Harribel turned her attention back to him. "I will see you both after work."

Her voice, while still cool and professional, held just enough heat at the end to make him swallow, a little color gracing his face for a brief second before he stamped down anything that might be misconstrued by his subordinate still perched on the couch.

With that, Harribel turned and left.

Toshiro shared a confused look with Hana before turning his attention, and reiatsu, to the idiots ogling Harribel as she exited the building. This time two of his unseated troops ran directly into one another. He realized he was going to have to write a bloody memo.

"Taichou, would you mind if I darted over the 5th for a moment? I don't want to call Harribel-sama a liar, but I would feel more comfortable confirming that my mother actually did ask her to see me."

"Deliver these reports while you're at it," he said simply, handing her a folder as a way of granting permission.

"Thanks. Want me to bring anything back?"

"No, I will be fine. You are dismissed."

"Sir," she said crisply and saluted before heading out.

He felt like he could trust Harribel, but Nanao's confirmation would ease his mind as well. He also took comfort in knowing that he would be on hand and that Harribel didn't intend to exclude him from whatever it was that was going on. He'd have been very suspicious if she'd sidetracked him. There wasn't much he could do about things if she'd done so, of course.

He should have been working on his paperwork, but now he was thoroughly distracted, his mind caught up in wondering what Harribel could possibly want with Hana and Ajuga. It was another small relief when Hana returned with a few briefings tucked under her arm. He took them and set the envelopes aside for the moment.

"Well?" he prompted. Hana looked a little frustrated.

"Apparently Mother knows what this is about, but she wouldn't tell me anything substantial. All she said was that the decision was for Ajuga and I to make and that Harribel-sama would fill us in tonight," the girl replied.

Toshiro felt some of the worry sitting on his shoulders pick up its bags and leave the room. If Nanao knew what was going on and wasn't upset about it, then it couldn't be anything bad. That allowed him to get his mind back on the paperwork sitting on his desk. Whatever it was, he'd find out tonight. He was curious, but reminded himself that curiosity was a lousy secretary and that it had never managed to polish off a stack of death notices.

(POV)

"So, what's the verdict?" Ajuga asked curiously, as she hopped down from the examination table.

"You are still the marvellous specimen you were last time," Szayel answered with a grin.

"And your favourite right?" she questioned in that jealous tone women used when they felt they were not the centre of attention.

"Why Ajuga-chan, whatever would possess you to think you were no longer my 'favourite experiment'?" Szayel asked in a mockingly hurt voice.

"Those two for starters," Ajuga replied and pointed over to where Abisara was running similar tests on his excited twin sister. "Then there is Diaemus-kun, and that new chick that's knocked up. I am starting to think you are losing interest in me Szay," she pouted.

"Never," he assured her with a confident smirk. "You will always be my first, and the first is always special."

"Papa, papa, papa! Abasara said I grew an entire inch!" Vindula exclaimed excitedly as she ran over to them.

"Excellent," he smiled down at his daughter, reaching down and twirling a lock of her long black hair around his finger. He tugged it for emphasis and she giggled up at her father.

"What about you, Ajuga?" Vindula asked excitedly.

"I am pretty much grown up," Ajuga smiled down at the young girl, who was already up to Ajuga's waist.

Ajuga couldn't remember if she was that tall at five years old, but she had spent a large amount of time running about on all fours and that made judging height a little bit more difficult.

"What about you Abisara?" Ajuga asked the male twin.

"I have grown by point seven six inches," he responded. "If I follow a human pattern, I will attain greater height later on."

"That's my boy."

"What about you D'mus?" Vindula asked.

"One point three centimetres," he answered.

All of them were down here for their usual checkups, with the addition of a woman Ajuga had rarely seen. Whoever she was, she was both pregnant and silent. In fact, the stranger hadn't uttered a single word since her arrival. All communications came from the Arrancar male hovering protectively over her shoulder.

Ajuga could tell she was Claimed, most likely by the male escorting her. More importantly, she could feel the latent power in this woman, a power that outstripped her Claimer and Ajuga couldn't help but to wonder how he'd been able to Claim her in the first place.

She did recognize them both and knew that they served Barragan, an Espada she detested and was rather wary off, especially after that meeting in the park. She'd sent many a silent thank you to Ulquiorra for his intervention that day, and even a few un-silent ones when she knew her father wasn't around to hear it. What she didn't know, off the top of her head, were their names.

"Who are they?" Ajuga asked Szayel, half-whispering the question. "I have seen them around and at Aizen-kami's little 'family gatherings.' I know they serve the ornery old bastard, but that's about it."

"Soi Fon and Ggio Vega," he answered, looking over to where Nemu was running her own test on the woman, as it seemed to make her more comfortable.

"They don't seem to be excited over the child. Even Ulquiorra showed more emotion over Diaemus," she noted.

"Barragan informed them that if the child turned out to be worthless after it was born he was going to dispose of it," Szayel answered quietly so the others could not hear him.

Ajuga shot him a look of pure horror. The mere thought of it made her stomach coil in disgust.

"Why?" she blurted. "I mean, he was interested in me, why not in that child?" she questioned. "Or is it his after all?"

"No, the child belongs to those two. I cannot fathom what the 'ornery old bastard' is thinking. To waste such a perfectly good specimen like that… disgraceful." He shook his head in disbelief.

"Szayel-sama, Harribel-sama is here and is looking for Ajuga," a voice said, crackling over the com system.

Ajuga turned her thoughts away from the sad situation in the corner and shared an odd look with Szayel.

"Have someone escort her down," Szayel ordered.

"Yes sir, right away sir."

"What would Harribel want with me?" Ajuga asked out loud, and frowned.

She had next to no dealings with the only female Espada, although she did respect her from a distance. It had to take some skill and power to fight at that level, not to mention to remain un-Claimed for so long. Women that powerful were highly sought after and Ajuga aspired to be as strong as Harribel one day.

"I honestly have no idea," Szayel replied, equally as puzzled.

"Papa, Abisara's being mean again!" Vindula complained from across the lab. "He won't let me have a turn with the machine!"

The little girl pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and glowering at her brother.

"That is because you don't know how to use it properly," Abisara said firmly.

"I do too!" she snapped.

"No, you do not," he stated, a bit more crossly than last time.

"Do too!"

"No you do not."

"Do too!"

"No you do not."

They continued like that back and forth with "no you do not" degrading to "do not" as they argued and Abisara's temper flared. Szayel massaged his fingers into his temples in increasing rotations as the sniping continued, much to Ajuga amusement. Before Szayel could step in though, another voice broke through the twins' clamouring.

"Alright, what's with the arguing?" Renji demanded sternly as he entered the room with Harribel following cautiously behind him. He strode right up to the two and knelt down to address Vindula.

"Ji-ji, Abisara is being mean to me!" Vindula wailed as she flung herself into the redhead's arms.

Being used to such behaviour from the young girl, Renji caught her easily and settled her on his hip, then looked down at her older brother.

"I am not!" Abisara denied childishly. "She's just not listening!"

"No, you're being mean!" Vindula shouted down at him.

Renji winced.

"Hey, you two, have mercy on my ears," Renji admonished. "I'm right here, you know.

"Sorry Ji-ji," she apologized sheepishly.

"Now, what is going on?" he asked again, his voice stern and his brown eyes serious.

"Abisara won't let me use the machine. He got to use it on me, so it's only fair I get to use it on him!" she pouted.

"Abisara?" Renji turned his attention to the boy, who was glaring at his twin with his arms crossed.

"She doesn't know how to use it properly," he responded. "Last time she messed up the controls and it took Father and me half a day to fix it," he added with a scowl.

"Vindula?" Renji turned back towards the little girl he held and his eyes told her he expected her to tell the truth.

"I didn't know how to use it that time," she admitted. "But I do now. I watched Abisara use it."

"Watching me do something isn't the same as _learning_ how to do it. I don't want to spend half a day fixing it again!"

"Than why don't you show your sister how to use it," Renji suggested, walking up to the green-eyed boy and the machine in question.

"I can't show her while she's using it on me," he pointed out smugly.

"Hm, you're right. I guess you'll just have to show her how to work with it while using it on _me_," he proposed, setting Vindula down next to her brother.

Then he gave the child a grin that dared Abisara to argue with him as he rolled up the sleeve of his kosode.

Abisara sent Renji a horrified look while Vindula smiled and whooped in triumph.

"He is good with children, as well as protective," Harribel noted as she joined Ajuga and Szayel.

"Indeed," Szayel agreed as he watched his offspring. "Well worth the price of having Orihime fix him and putting up with his abrasive behaviour."

"So, the com staff said you wanted to talk to me," Ajuga turned her attention away from the twins and their surrogate uncle and towards the female Espada standing beside them.

"Yes. Your father requested that I speak to you," Harribel answered, turning her own attention Ajuga's way.

"About what?" Ajuga questioned suspiciously.

"About things pertaining to female Hollows," Harribel replied.

"Ah!" Szayel nodded his head in understanding. "Would it be too presumptuous to request you do that same for Vindula when she is older?" he requested politely. "I do understand such things of course, but it is always better, and less embarrassing, for the girl to hear it from another woman instead of their own father."

"I can arrange such a talk, when the time comes," Harribel assured him.

Her eyes flickered to the small winged girl giggling at the controls of the machine while her brother strapped a blood pressure cuff around Renji's tattooed bicep.

"You have plenty of time before you need to worry about such, though. I assume that there have been no more incidents with the Numeros?"

Szayel looked more than a little relieved about that, and then gave Harribel a slight, respectful bow.

"No, thankfully. I believe the… deterrent Aizen-Kami set up last year was sufficient warning. Thank you. We are done here for today Ajuga-chan, if you want to go and have that talk."

"Sure. Do you still need help tomorrow with the dissection of S6 number 4?" she inquired.

"If you are interested in attending, you are of course welcome to come," he agreed.

"Consider me there unless something comes up, like a battle," she said with an easy grin.

"You know your mother doesn't like it when you participate is those," he frowned at her.

"She's just being over-protective. It doesn't bother Papa any," Ajuga grouched and then shrugged.

It looked for a moment like Szayel was going to say more about it, but he stopped and sent a look Harribel's way instead. Ajuga wasn't sure why he would glance at Harribel, she was just happy he had dropped the subject. It was bad enough arguing with her mother over the issue. She didn't want to get into a dispute with Szayel as well.

"I will see you tomorrow then."

"Tomorrow," she agreed. "I'm leaving, see you guys later," she called over to the others.

Various versions of 'later' came back her way as she followed Harribel out of Szayel's Division, past the gates and down the street until they arrived at one of the many parks in the First District. This one was large and it had many secluded spots and a large population of wild game thanks to the sheer amount of acreage. Ajuga knew so because she hunted here on occasion, which made the locals happy. The rabbit population had a tendency to get out of control and into their vegetable gardens if no one took steps to keep the core population in the park in check. Fortunately, fresh rabbit made a very tasty snack and she was all too happy to hunt them.

She was oddly at ease around her fellow Arrancar, perhaps because Szayel seemed to understand what was going on and he was relaxed about it as well, even going so far as to request the same service for his own daughter. The silence was getting uncomfortable though.

"So, female Hollow stuff, huh?" Ajuga prompted as they walked through the thick woods.

She knew there was a small, overgrown, secluded pond ahead and figured that was where Harribel was leading her. It was as good a place as any for a long chat. The ice crystals on the frozen pond glittered in the sunlight and not many people ventured there in the winter.

"Yes. I have other things I wish to speak to you and Hana about later this evening, but for now, the conversation is about things _you_ should know, such as how to cast Claims of your own. We do so much differently than the males of our kind. We lack the appropriate appendage required to deliver shots of reiatsu into another's body."

"We don't have dicks. Yeah, I get that," Ajuga snorted.

Harribel looked at her with a raised eyebrow and Ajuga got the impression the Espada found her reply funny. On her part, she was a bit embarrassed she'd said something so crass.

"Yes, we lack _that_," she agreed. "However, it is still possible for us to cast Claims of our own. I will inform you on how to do so, as one day you will undoubtedly choose a mate of your own, and this knowledge will be useful to return a potential Mating Claim."

"Ugh, too young to even think about stuff like that," Ajuga said and made a disgusted face.

"You won't always feel that way, much to your father's horror I am sure."

This time Harribel laughed, the soft sound coming from deep within her chest, then her eyes took on a more serious look.

"You should also know how to reject an attempted Claim, though I doubt your father will allow anyone attempting that to live for long."

"Oh, it's not Papa you have to watch out for, despite his reputation and being able to tear things to shreds. It's _Mama_ you got to fear. With Papa, your death is quick… gruesome, but quick. Mama, on the other hand, knows how to make you suffer for hours and hours. Trust me, and if you don't trust me, ask Szay," Ajuga explained with a chuckle.

"I believe you. Let us begin with the basics."

The conversation was a little awkward at first, but Ajuga found that she was quickly starting to like Harribel. She'd never really considered the fact that she didn't really have any female Hollow role models other than Lilinette, and she really wasn't a good example. As the afternoon rolled on, she felt herself open up more and become bolder with her questions. It was definitely nice being able to talk to another woman, one who wasn't her mother or surrogate aunt. One who was an Arrancar, as she was and who understood that she was different from the human and Shinigami females that surrounded her. In addition, Harribel was patient with what seemed to Ajuga like an endless stream of questions and didn't make her feel like a fool for asking them. Ajuga had never even noticed how much she had been stewing over the issues all teenagers suffered with up until now, and with the compounding factor of being a Hollow to boot.

When the sun dipped towards the horizon, the blonde Espada looked up and stretched, then pointed back the way they'd come.

"It is getting late," she noted. "…and I have something else that I wish to speak to you and Hana about. Come, Hana and Toshiro should be arriving at my den soon and, hopefully, dinner will be ready."

"Alright… um, Harribel-san…?"

Harribel turned to look at her, eyes expectant. Ajuga looked down at her feet and clasped her hands behind her back.

"Thanks…for doing this for me. I really appreciate it. If I think of anything else, can I talk to you about it later?" Ajuga asked hesitantly.

"Of course," the Third said, ushering the younger Arrancar-hybrid back towards the main road.

Ajuga got the impression that Harribel was smiling at her behind the mask fragments that covered half her face. It was definitely nice to have someone to talk to about these sorts of things without worrying about judgment.

* * *

Huge hugs for those of you that took the time to review, it makes all this work feel worth it, and this story is a huge amount of work.

I will update on adultfan when the stupid 'malware ahead' warning is dealt with and I can get onto the site. As far as I know there is nothing actually wrong with the site, just some jerkoff reporting it. Been a lot of issues like that lately. Seems like someone, or a group of someones, has been playing 'sensor god/s' and attacking a lot of 'mature' content. Warnings are there for a reason and it's up to parents to watch what their kids are looking into. Grow up and starting taking responsibility for your own brats and stop bitching to the rest of the world about how shitty of a parent you are. I know you can't watch your kid 24/7, but come on, you should at least be checking up on them and teaching them right from wrong.

Next Chapter: we see a small bit of Orihime and Ulquiora, followed by humorous misunderstandings as Harribel talks to Hana and Ajuga.

This Weeks Question: What skill do you wish you had, but don't. For me, I wish I could draw half a damn, then I could draw out some of my favourite scenes and share them with people, maybe even turn my work into Manga. Some scenes would be much more powerful drawn out then written, and I could draw out what the General's and children look like.


	8. Offer

Offer

Orihime hummed happily as she walked home for the evening, a crate of groceries tucked under one arm and a basket held in the other. Soul Society lacked plastic bags for carrying groceries and as such, reusable crates and baskets were the order of things. She greatly missed some of the convenience things about the Living World, but at the same time, she had to admit that she enjoyed the open markets. Between fresh produce and the food stands, even in the dead of winter, it almost felt like every trip to the market was a mini-holiday or a street festival.

"I'm home," she announced as she stepped through the front door and kicked her sandals off.

There was no verbal answer, but a brush of reiatsu tingled pleasantly against her skin, causing her to giggle. She walked into the living room on her way to the kitchen, tossing a smile at her Mate, who appeared to be sleeping on the couch, even though she knew he wasn't.

She set the groceries down and began to put things away, still humming and swaying her hips in tune to the tune. She only stopped when a pair of hands came down upon them shortly before a body pressed itself against her back.

"Why are you attempting to torment me?" Ulquiorra asked.

"I would say it isn't an attempt…" she responded and rubbed her rear more firmly against the flesh nestled between her cheeks. " I'd say you're already there."

He let out a soft groan before suddenly stepping away from her. She pouted unhappily and was about to get upset when she heard the front door open and close before Diaemus announced he was home. Her good mood returned almost immediately and she focused her attention on their son. However, she did give her mate a sultry look that promised they'd pick up where they'd left off later in the evening.

"Diaemus! Welcome home!" she greeted her son happily, pulling him into her embrace despite his stiff posture. "How did the tests go?" she asked.

"Well," he answered, trying to pull away from her hug.

Orihime sighed and let him go, looking down at him with teary eyes. Diaemus was so much like his father sometimes that it bothered her. It wasn't that she didn't love Ulquiorra, but she wished they would be more expressive. She had worked for years to humanize both her son and her mate, to teach them how to think with their hearts and not just rely on cold logic. It was slow going, but she had made noticeable progress, especially with Ulquiorra. He was considerably different from how he'd been fifteen years ago, when he just took what he wanted, claiming it was his right, with no consideration to her feelings on the matter.

"Answer you mother appropriately," Ulquiorra ordered their son, a small amount of disapproval in his tone.

Diaemus sighed and sent his father look of suffering before turning his attention back to her.

"My height has seen an increase of one point three centimetres…"

Orihime listened attentively as Diaemus informed her how his appointment had gone. She'd been very apprehensive of letting Szayel anywhere near her or her child at first, but he'd slowly earned her trust over the years. It helped that Karin trusted him and knowing that the scientist was Claimed by Grimmjow, who had ordered him to obey Karin in all ways, certainly helped.

"…that is all there is to report. May I proceed with my training now, Mother?" Diaemus asked, and then added "Please?"

"Of course," she replied and beamed at him. "Try not to get too dirty though, supper will be ready in an hour," she paused and sent a look over towards her mate. "Well, better make that two hours. I forgot there is something I need to take care of first. Can you wait that long?" she asked her son.

The boy, noticing the looks his parents were exchanging, decided that now would be a good time to make his escape, the quicker the better.

"Yes."

Without another word, Diaemus fled the house, so doubt heading towards one of the many training fields.

"Now then," Orihime turned her attention back to Ulquiorra. "I believe we were having a discussion about torment?" she asked innocently.

Letting the straps of her dress fall down, which resulted in the whole thing making a slow trip to the floor as it flowed down her body, she took a step towards him wearing nothing but a pair of underwear.

Ulquiorra could move fast when he wanted to, and this was apparently one of those times. One second he was several feet away from her, the next she was on her back in their bedroom with his mouth attacking hers. It took her a moment to get over the sudden vertigo but Ulquiorra never gave her a chance to take control over the situation. That was fine by her, he was a very attentive lover after all and knew just how to make her whimper and squirm in pleasure beneath him. In fact, he proceeded to do just that.

(POV)

Hana followed Toshiro home, her mind franticly whirling about as she tried to figure out what Harribel could possibly want with her. Whatever it was, Harribel apparently had Nanao's permission to present it, and that helped ease Hana's frazzled nerves, more so knowing that Ajuga would be a part of it.

The house Toshiro led her two was two stories and a decent size, with about an acre of yard. It was nowhere near as big as the Estate they lived on, but it was still an impressive place. Most likely, it had belonged to a rich merchant before Harribel had taken it over after the war.

The smell of dinner and the buzz of conversation greeted them as they entered the house and removed their waraji at the door. She watched as he carefully folded the green silk scarf that usually hung around his neck and placed it reverently on a low shelf that seemed reserved just for that garment. Toshiro led her to the dining room where Harribel's fraccion were busy setting the table for the evening meal. Harribel sat at the head of the table with Ajuga in the seat to her right.

"Welcome home, Toshiro," Harribel greeted him, looking up at the young man through golden lashes.

"Harribel," he answered, returning Harribel's greeting warmly.

She watched, fascinated despite herself, as her Taichou exchanged his usual narrow-lipped scowl for a small smile. Hana tried very hard not to stare, lest her eyes deceive her. Hitsugaya-Taichou almost never smiled at the office, especially of late with the newest Swarm attacks.

Hana got the impression that this was a routine greeting. She felt a little more uncomfortable, uncertain as to what she supposed to do with herself. Ajuga, on the other hand, seemed completely at ease, even happy.

"Hana, welcome. Please, have a seat," Harribel indicated the chair on her left. "Dinner is almost ready."

"How was work today?" Ajuga asked her.

"Good," she answered, feeling a little less uneasy now that she had something relevant and familiar to talk about. "How did the tests with Szay go?"

Ajuga shrugged and leaned back in her chair.

"Same old, same old... Diaemus grew a bit more, and the twins were bickering again until Ji-ji intervened," she explained. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

Hana also laughed as she sat down in the indicated seat.

"Ji-ji?" Toshiro asked, confused as he took the seat at the other end of the table. "Do you mean Abarai-san?"

"It's what the twins call him," Hana chuckled, her apprehension fading. "Szay set Renji-san up to be the twins' caretaker. I swear Vindula has had him wrapped around her little pinkie since the day she hatched."

"Ain't that the truth," Ajuga agreed, crooking her little finger and rotating it. "Abisara is as refined as Szay likes to pretend he is, but Vindula, she's a handful, always getting into trouble and trying to follow us around."

"She's a handful? Clearly you need to look in a mirror, Ajuga-chan" Hana shot back.

"Seems like that's a case of the pot calling the kettle 'black'," Ajuga replied with a raised eyebrow.

Harribel's fraccion paused, sensing a proverbial gauntlet had just been tossed onto the middle of the table.

"I don't know what you are referring to. I, unlike you, am the embodiment of discipline."

Hana's self-assessment earned her a snort from her childhood friend.

"Right, and whose idea was it again to ambush Starrk-ji in the summer with three pails of ice water because he looked hot?"

"Lilinette's," Hana answered without a moment's hesitation. "Besides, it's sort of become a bit of a tradition," she shrugged.

"It's a tradition to attack the Primera with buckets of ice water?" Mila Rose asked, openly shocked.

"Don't look at me, it was a tradition before _I_ was born," Ajuga gestured towards Hana.

"Hey, Lili-chan started it. I was too young and innocent to know better," Hana proclaimed. "Let's talk about you and Starrk-ji and the makeup kit…"

The playful banter helped calm her down during dinner. The three fraccion seemed interested in what it was like living with someone as powerful as Starrk and the conversation continued as the meal progressed. Harribel and Toshiro simply ate in silence, watching the girls and Harribel's fraccion with amused expressions. At least Hana was sure Harribel was amused, it was hard to tell as the only clue to her emotions were through her green eyes and the occasional low-pitched laugh she would let out during one of their more amusing stories. All in all, dinner went well, and tasted pretty damn good actually. It was kind of nice having other women to talk to other than her mother and Karin. They may have been Arrancar, but that didn't faze her in the least having grown up around the race. In the end, women tended to be women.

It was well after dessert when Harribel led them to a study and asked that they close the door behind them. Toshiro had excused himself and left for his own chamber. Apprehension replaced the peaceful feeling that had come over her earlier. Even Ajuga, who was much more at ease around Harribel, suddenly seemed slightly apprehensive as well.

"Please, be seated," Harribel said, and motioned with one elegant hand towards the couch.

Both girls sat down while Harribel took the recliner across from them. Hana often wondered about the large collection of styles Soul Society possessed. Most of it was feudal, but there was a large collection of modern things as well, such as the refrigerators and soul phones to almost the entirety of Szayel's Division.

"I want to make it clear that this idea comes from your parents, but whether you accept or not is entirely up to you. You will receive no pressure from me and I will only agree to this if you are willing. I would also like to get to know you better, as this is not a decision entered into lightly. It would please me if you would accompany Toshiro home on occasion so that we may do so before we make things final. Is everything clear so far?" Harribel asked.

"It would help if we knew what it is we are agreeing to," Hana pointed out, pleased that her voice was clear despite the sudden nervousness and fear that was overcoming her.

She knew that their parents were starting to fear for them. It was a secret fear of her own as well, one that had bothered her for the last several months. In fact, she'd gone so far as to ask Szayel for a tracking bracelet of her own in case she caught the eye of an Arrancar undeterred by the fact she lived on the same Estate as both halves of the Primera. The Terceira's next words did nothing to alleviate her concerns.

"Your parents fear you'll become a bit too attractive, especially you Ajuga, to those who have yet to make a Claim, or who may be bored with the one they have and dismiss him or her for a better prospect," Harribel answered bluntly.

Hana was not feeling any better. She knew what Claiming entailed, thanks to Lilinette and she found it hard to believe that her mother would ask anyone to do this to her. Her own mother wasn't even physically Claimed, yet she was safe.

'_There has to be a better way than this! Hell, Harribel is incredibly powerful. Would I even be able to handle it,__'_she wondered fearfully.

"Most couldn't even touch me," Ajuga snorted. "However, there are a few who could and they haven't exhausted their quota yet," she admitted reluctantly.

"Indeed…" Harribel agreed with a nod. "This is why your parents requested that I take you under my wing. If, of course, you're willing. They feel this is the best option, since it will be an arrangement of command outside your family structure. No one wants to answer to their parents forever, after all."

Despite nearly hyperventilating, Hana still got the impression that Harribel was smiling. It was something about her eyes and the ease in her body language. In fact, Harribel was completely relaxed with the conversation.

"It makes sense," Ajuga agreed easily. "But I am not sure I really like the idea. No offence Harribel, but, even though I know you would probably be fair, I sort of like my freedom. I understand why my parents are concerned, and I'm surprised that Papa even swallowed his pride enough to ask, but I just don't like structural command. I would really need to think about it. I am not saying 'yes', but I am not saying 'no' just yet either. Hana?" Ajuga looked at her.

Hana's mind was still whirling about in chaos, flipping between how she really didn't want her first time to be with a stranger and wondering how, and even if, an Arrancar woman could set up that sort of protection. Mixed in was a large amount of betrayal that her mother would even _consider_ this option for her safety. She hardly even knew Harribel, had never even exchanged words with her until this day.

"Um, Hana, are you alright?" Ajuga asked concerned.

"How can you be so calm about this?" Hana asked.

"It's not that big of a deal." Ajuga looked at her, bewildered as to why her childhood friend seemed on the verge of crying.

"This is insane," Hana shook her head. "How could our parents even conceive of such an idea, especially without even asking us?"

"Hana, why are you so worked up over this?" Ajuga asked, concerned now. "Considering that you're the logical one, I expected that you would have been all over the offer!"

"I understand the concern and how this would eliminate the threat, but the thought of sharing a bed with someone I don't even know, that my mother agreed…" she couldn't finish.

Ajuga stared at her blankly for a moment, before bursting into laugher. In fact, she was laughing so hard that she clutched her sides and nearly rolled off of her portion of the couch. Harribel's sea-green eyes seemed taken aback for a moment, before they closed and both girls heard a deep-chested laugh erupt from the Espada. Two of her fingertips gently rubbed her forehead and she actually looked a bit chagrined.

"Oh… Hana," Ajuga gasped. "You…. Oh Kami…"

"Forgive me, Hana. I should have made myself clearer. I am offering to accept you as one of my fraccion, not Claim you," Harribel clarified, sounding a bit sheepish. "It is forbidden to Claim another's fraccion and as such, you would be safe from that particular danger. It is true that an Espada can Claim their own fraccion, but I already have a partner I am _very_ satisfied with."

"Oh."

Hana listened and found her cheeks flooding with color. Now that she had calmed down a little, she felt ridiculous. It should have been obvious that something else was going on. After all, Aizen had limited the Espada to two pets and Harribel already had Toshiro. It would have been against Aizen's law to add the two girls and she was positive that Harribel liked Toshiro, if the occasionally heated looks the two exchanged throughout dinner were any indication of their feelings. Releasing him from her service would result in his execution unless another picked him up. She was positive that Harribel wouldn't do that to him.

"We would be your fraccion?" Hana asked, to make sure she'd heard the offer correctly.

"Yes. Do you understand what a fraccion is?"

"They are those that serve a specific Espada. Ajuga I can understand, but I am not an Arrancar. Could I even be one?" she wondered, her curiosity winning out. "Or even have the rank acknowledged?"

"Why do you think no one has bothered your mother, despite the fact that she is still 'physically' unClaimed by Starrk?" Harribel pointed out.

Hana looked down at her hands and gave that some thought. She'd simply assumed that no one wanted to mess with Starrk or Lilinette, but that obviously wasn't the whole story. Her mother was also very good at defending herself from unwanted attention, apparently thanks to years of fending off the father Hana never got the chance to meet. Her mother was also very proficient with Kido so the brief time she'd been denied her Zanpakuto hadn't hindered her combat skills too badly.

"I never really considered it that way," she admitted.

In fact, she tried not to think about it. It was just plain strange thinking about Starrk-ji and 'take-ji having sex together. The less time she spent on that thought, the better.

"So, what would I have to do as your fraccion?" Hana asked, once her pulse had returned to normal.

Harribel seemed to think this was a reasonable question. She made an expansive gesture with one of her hands.

"I do not expect overly much from my fraccion other than loyalty and friendship. While I will have the right to issue you commands, and I will expect you to obey those commands, I will not order you to do something without a very good reason, nor would I order you to harm someone for whom you care. As I expect loyalty from my fraccion, in return you will have my loyalty. I defend that which belongs to me. It is difficult being a woman amongst so many chauvinistic fools."

Hana watched as Ajuga nodded at that.

"Would I have to move here?" she asked.

"No," Harribel assured her. "I do not expect for you to change your life at all, considering your duties. However, it would be nice if you did come by and visit on occasion. I love my girls, but their conversations can get tedious at times and Toshiro tells me that you are a rather charming, intelligent and insightful young woman."

"Oh, really?" she asked, embarrassed now. "I didn't know he talked about me."

"We often talk about his work. As I stated before, you do not need to decide at present. I'm leaving the option open for now. I would like you to consider it carefully though."

"Alright, I will think about it," Hana assured her. "How soon would you like a response?"

It was going to a difficult decision to make and she definitely didn't want to rush into something like this, not without getting more facts and information. The first person she planned on speaking to when she got back to the Estate was Starrk.

"As long as you need, be it three days or three years," Harribel answered, taking Hana by surprise. "I believe we are finished here for now, and no doubt your mothers are fretting over this conversation even as we speak."

All three of the women in the room laughed at that and Hana found she liked the deep rumble Harribel gave. It was dark out by the time the two girls walked home, discussing the idea between them.

The offer was sound, but Hana wanted to get to know the Espada better. Ajuga was only slightly interested. Much like her father, Ajuga had issues with authority and didn't like having to answer to others. It was starting to become a bit of an issue and Hana had walked in on a few heated arguments between mother and daughter. She understood Karin's concern of course. If the Swarm ever learned of Ajuga's heritage she would quickly become a target, but Hana couldn't tell Ajuga that. Karin was keeping it a secret and Hana understood why. Still, it put her in a bit of a tough spot, as she had to sit on an increasingly rickety fence, stuck between supporting her friend and agreeing with her mother. She wasn't looking forward to the day that fence gave way and she had to make a hard choice. With any luck, that day would never come.

"Well, how did it go?" Nanao asked as the two girls entered the main living room.

"It went well," Ajuga answered with a shrug. "I am going to pry Papa off of Mother and embarrass the hell out of him. See you in the morning."

Ajuga announced this with just a little too much wicked glee and waved at the two of them as she left for her family's suite.

"Good night Ajuga," Hana called back.

What Ajuga just described had no business being in her head and she dismissed the images her friend had planted there, making a face as she did so. It was just as well. She had her own worried parent to deal with right now.

"Well?" Nanao pressed, probably wanting to know what her daughter thought of the potential arrangement.

"It seems like a good, safe idea, and I understand why you asked her instead of Starrk-ji or Grimmjow. Right now, we just want to get to know each other a bit better. What can you tell me about her?" Hana asked.

"Not much I am afraid, but Toshiro seems to trust her. I would speak to Starrk if you want to know more. I think he is playing a game of Go with Jushiro right now," Nanao answered.

"I think I will do that."

"Did Ajuga seem like she was going to agree?"

"No, she is too free-spirited," Hana said regretfully, and shook her head. "You know, Harribel told me that you are technically Starrk-ji's fraccion."

Her mother seemed a little surprised about that, which struck Hana as strange. Her mother was usually the one to consider things from all angles before making any decisions.

"I never thought of it that way," Nanao mused as she stood up to follow Hana to Jushiro's room. Hana hoped that Starrk would be in a talkative mood and answer her questions without being either cryptic or lazy about it.

* * *

/hugs to the few that took the time to review. I love you gals, and guys if any of you are male.

Next Chapter: More with Soi Fon and some stuff with Byakuya.

This Weeks Question: What is your dream job? Mine would be to be a Marine Biologist and get to spends days swimming in carious oceans studying wild life. I wanted to go that route, but the schooling was too expensive. As a back up, I would love to be a well paid, well known, author. One day I will stop writing Fanfiction and work on my original stories again, once I find a bunker good enough to keep out enraged fan girls.

I am a very bad girl, I forgot to add the link to the fanart that Wishsayer did for my other Fanfict The Real King... wishsayer. deviantart art/Karin-X-Yylfort-357179485 She does some really amazing work with animals, I encourage you to check out her gallery.


	9. Suffering

Suffering

There it was. Her child displayed in a 3D image on the monitor. She could even see its little heart beating away and could watch as the unborn baby sucked on his or her hand. They didn't know the gender yet, and didn't want to know. If she didn't know the gender she couldn't think up names, never mind that a Hollow's child gained their name at birth. If the child didn't have a name, she couldn't get attached to him or her, and that was something she was afraid to do, especially with the child's fate so unknown.

At least, Soi Fon thought miserably, that's what she kept telling herself once Barragan revealed both his anger at her state and what he intended to do about it.

"The child seems to be doing well," Nemu reported. "He or she is healthy and growing at a rate similar to the one we recorded for Ajuga Jaegerjaquez."

Soi Fon didn't answer, but she had no way of doing so. Barragan had burned her throat out with his powers to silence her when her tongue had gotten too sharp and Ggio hadn't been around to order her silent. She'd been a bit delirious afterwards, but she knew that Barragan punished Ggio for it as well. Yumichika had informed her of it while he'd tended to her.

"Have you been able to keep up a healthy diet?" Nemu asked gently.

"Yes," Ggio answered for her, then hesitated.

Nemu looked at him and he looked at his boots.

"I'm making sure she gets the supplements and bring her what meals I can. The servants have orders to give her nothing more than water and rice," he confessed.

Soi Fon felt tears form at the corner of her eyes and she angrily stuffed them back by sheer force of will. What Ggio wasn't telling them was that he'd been bringing her at least part of his own meals and any stolen scraps he could manage to sneak from the kitchens.

"Barragan is still being an anal old fool, I take it?" Szayel asked unhappily, as he joined them, apparently done with his own work.

A glance over showed her that only Abarai Renji and the twins remained, and they were firmly locked in their own little world, with the redhead arbitrating the latest round of 'did not, did so'. Soi Fon nodded in answer, her eyes going back to the image of her baby. She picked up the chalkboard Nemu had provided for her to communicate with, a rather ingenious idea actually and far more convenient than pen and paper.

'He desires the pregnancy terminated, despite Aizen-Kami's will' she wrote.

"Barragan's being a short-sighted, stubborn old goat," Szayel agreed. "Odd though, considering how much of an interest he showed towards Ajuga," he mused.

"Ajuga is the daughter of an Espada," Nemu reminded her mate.

"True. Perhaps that isn't the issue though…" Szayel mused, his gaze sliding from her to Ggio. "Perhaps he is more concerned with shifting loyalties."

She felt Ggio stiffen beside her. She knew his loyalty to Barragan had dwindled to next to nothing over the years. The once fanatical devotion he'd had for his Espada had been destroyed over years of rape and pain as Barragan turned his lusts to his only surviving fraccion, and poor Yumichika. Unlike Yumichika, who had her, Ggio had had no one to help support him through the pain of betrayal and abuse… at least, not at first. Slowly, both she and Yumichika had brought him into their little circle as his hero-worship twisted and cratered into fear and hopelessness.

She'd never thought that the few, small, kind things she'd done for him over the years when she took pity on him after Barragan had been particularly cruel would turn into adoration and desire . She would never forget the first time he apologized to her for having to refresh her Claim, nor would she forget the time she had caught him and Yumichika plotting together as to the best method to win her affection. That one had definitely answered some of the questions she'd had about the change in his behaviour. At the time, his efforts made little sense to her. He could have simply forced her to submit to him via his Claim on her person, rather than going to the trouble of actually courting her. She'd even asked him about it, in her usual point-blank manner.

His answer had surprised and saddened her a little.

"_The Claim is not mine, but Barragan-sama__'__s. It is something that, even though I cast it, belongs to him. This is something I want that doesn__'__t belong to him.__"_

It was a sweet response that touched her with its honesty. Ggio seemed so fervent about pleasing her. He'd told her this when she'd finally relented and let him bring her out on a 'date.' Barragan's orders restricted her wardrobe, but that hadn't kept him from taking her out of the Estate, into the sunshine and fresh air, to one of the many garden ponds in the 1st District with a picnic basket that practically screamed 'Yumichika packed this.'

She hated to admit it, but she had grown rather fond of her effeminate fellow slave. Yumichika had done much for her over the years and the two had become close, so close that he had finally revealed to her why and how he was surviving this nightmare relatively unscathed.

"_Long before I met Ikakku, when I was much younger and living alone, my swordsmanship was hardly what it is today. I was taught from a young age how to use a different weapon to keep me safe and earn my daily bread: seduction. The more skilled one is at that art, the better one eats. The better one eats, the prettier one can afford to look. The more beautiful one is, the more one is able to pick and choose their cliental, and more importantly, pick the ones who are less likely to be rough in their intimacy.__"_

It had apparently taken him a long time to work his way up that confession, but that didn't mean that being on the top of the prostitute pile, for that was truly what he had been, protected him from those that would take what they wanted, especially in the 79th District. He'd learned it was best to go along, to stay unbeaten and uninjured, because being beaten meant it was harder to get work, and that meant that he'd have to settle for less savoury customers, all of which resulted in a downward spiral.

She's returned his trust with tales of her own past, although now they seemed so petty compared to what he'd gone through. Still, she'd never shared with anyone else how much Yoruichi leaving her behind had hurt, other than to the woman herself. Yumichika had listened and not judged, and that had helped her lift a lot of that weight off of her shoulders.

"What will you do if Barragan does order you to destroy the child?" Nemu asked, bringing Soi Fon's thoughts out of historical hell and into the present one.

'I don't know,' she wrote out, fighting back tears and cursing the hormones that her pregnancy seemed determined to unleash on her body and moods.

She tried not to think about it. She was not sure she would be able to handle watching Barragan slaughter her infant after it was born. She was already suffering nightmares and having a hard time sleeping as she fretted over her unborn child's fate. She was almost to the emotional point of begging Aizen of all people to do something about it.

"We could request it as an experiment," Nemu offered. "You do have a frightful reputation."

"You mean I did. Unfortunately, Karin-sama put an end to that when she demanded that we obey the Code of Ethics from that accursed 4th Division to the letter," he reminded her and scowled. "And Aizen destroyed what little reputation I had left when he had me announce my servitude to her in front of the entire Arrancar population."

"Right now, I would sooner be in your shoes," Ggio grumbled, hands rubbing Soi Fon's shoulders, trying to get her to relax a little.

"Touché. You are as healthy as can be expected, Soi Fon. Just keep taking those pills we gave you. They will help keep the nutrients in your body at a steady level even if Barragan attempts to starve the child out of you. I will not have that doddering old fool interfere with any of my potential specimens."

She nodded her head to indicate she understood.

"Now for your turn," Szayel turned to face Ggio.

"I am fine," he protested.

"I believe you need to look up the definition of that term, because I don't think it means what you think it means. Here I had always figured you were one of the more intelligent of Barragan's fraccion. You have been standing stiffly this entire time and I know, from rather painful personal experience, that the only reason you would be doing so would be if you'd sustained an injury to your back, among other ailments. Now kindly take your mate's place on this table so Nemu can see to and tend to those wounds. And that's an order."

"Technically, you can't order me," Ggio grumbled, but he did help Soi Fon off the examination table, wincing heavily as he sat down.

Szayel was right, Ggio's entire back was a shredded mess, and not all of the damage was fresh. It was Barragan's solution to prevent them from having a relationship, to make sure that Ggio was too exhausted and in too much pain to even think about cuddling, let alone sex. Soi Fon suspected that Barragan was deliberately trying to make it so that the Claim would fall off, which would result in her execution. She had a feeling that the 2nd Espada no longer found her amusing and he could force anyone on the Estate he had taken for his own to replace her.

She wondered what would happen to her if the Claim fell off and how long she would have to be re-Claimed by another before Aizen put her to death. Who knew, maybe Aizen might even dismiss the whole thing, but she doubted it. Unlike Ukitake, Toshiro or Unohana, she didn't have a job or a Division holding her here. As much as it would be unpleasant for her to leave Yumichika behind, she would bolt for the Living Realm as quickly as she could to find her old mentor and join the Escapees. Then she would have a long talk with them about what was taking them so damn long to rescue everyone.

Ggio was in far worse shape than she thought as she watched him remove his uniform. His skin was a mottled mix of black, yellow and blue from far too many bruises and the lashes he'd been given decorated not only his back, but his chest and thighs as well. Szayel frowned and started moving the gurney on which Ggio lay to various pieces of equipment. The worse test had to be the X-rays. Soi Fon had never realized how many of his bones had been bruised. Six of his ribs even had half-healed hairline fractures.

"_He just refreshed the Claim last week, and those look to be at least several weeks old. He had to have been in a large amount of pain when he recast it,__"_she realized, shocked and feeling a little guilty.

"You need to rest," Szayel scowled.

"I wish I could do so, but we both know these injuries are minor, and no excuse not to serve Barragan-sama," Ggio pointed out.

"True enough," Szayel agreed. "Still… Abisara, come over here." Szayel called.

"Yes, Otou-san?" Abisara asked, leaving Renji and Vindula to their game as he joined them. The young boy's large green eyes looked up as his father, his expression neutral.

"It would be a terrible, _terrible_ thing if Ggio here were to contract a virus, one that would leave him bedridden in the 4th Division for several days. You know… like the engineered influenza virus that you and I created the other day in Laboratory 4 as part of your lesson plan. You remember, don't you, the one with the artificially short, 10-second incubation time, on the second shelf in the refrigerator?"

"That would be unfortunate," Abisara agreed before walking off as if the conversation had never occurred.

Soi Fon sent Nemu a confused look.

"We are ordered to follow the Code of Ethics to the letter," Nemu explained smoothly. "Soi Fon, if you'll come over here for a few minutes, I have two blood draws I'd like to do, to make sure your kidneys, liver and spleen are functioning properly, and to make sure your glucose levels remain stable."

"_Clever_," Soi Fon silently admitted.

She let Nemu separate her from Ggio, knowing a precautionary quarantine when she saw one enacted. Nemu also pulled out a syringe and smiled sweetly at Soi Fon as she prepared the woman's upper arm for an injection. The fact that Nemu knew how to smile unnerved the former Taichou more than the fact she held a needle in her hand.

"It's merely a standard, wide-spectrum influenza vaccine. All pregnant women should have one."

After rubbing some healing cream on Ggio's wounds, bandaging them and setting the next date for Soi Fon's prenatal appointment, Szayel announced that they were free to return home. Abisara, unfortunately, wasn't watching where he was going as he walked through the examination room, wandering suspiciously close to where Ggio was struggling to pull his clothing back on. The pink-haired boy seemed to stumble as he neared the fang-masked Arrancar and before anyone knew it, he'd splashed Ggio's face with the contents of the innocent-looking test tube in his gloved hands as he tripped.

Szayel offered Ggio his sincerest apologies and warned them that if the Arrancar started feeling woozy, he should seek out Unohana-Taichou, just to be on the safe side.

"_Very clever,__"_she couldn't help but think as they left, Ggio still sputtering a little.

* * *

Why does this chapter seem so short? Because I cut out the entire scene from Byakuya's POV. It was rather dark and instead of trying to tone it down, I decided it was just easier to cut it out. You can find it on Adultfan, same username and story name. bleachDOTadultfanfictionDOTn et/storyDOTphp?no=600012774 Recall you must be 18 or older to view the site and content. Unknown reviews are active so you can leave a review there without needed to create an account.

FAN ART WOOT!: fuusunshineDOTdeviantartDOTc om/art/Prize-of-Victory-s-Ajuga-Jeagerjaques-361419736 A picture of an older Ajuga. Thank you so much fuusunshine :)

Next Chapter: Unohana has a full medical ward.

This Weeks Question: If you could have anyone's Zanpakuto as your own, who's would it be? There are a lot of good ones, but I find myself partial to Kazeshini. His Shikai is just so cool looking, and deadly. No wonder Hisagi is scared of his own weapon. Could you imagine how difficult it was to learn how to use a weapon like that without slicing yourself to ribbons?


	10. Full Ward

Full Ward

"It always comes down in sheets when it rains," Unohana sighed sadly as she picked up the latest chart to come to her attention even as two of her Division members wheeled the patient down the hall, the white sheets already stained red with the victim's blood.

First, Gin's pneumonia had flared up, thanks to having spent the day washing bed sheets outside in the cold weather. She'd been less than pleased to come home to find him shivering in his cubby with a high fever and coughs wracking his too-skinny frame.

Then, after she got him settled in comfortably at the 4th, Ggio had been dragged in by Ayasegawa Yumichika, both of them in rough shape, Ggio more so than Yumichika. The first seemed to have come down with a particularly nasty case of the flu on top of some injuries that hadn't been given proper treatment. The second had taken a hard riding, since Ggio was unfit to share their master's 'attentions.' Yumichika's injuries weren't all that terrible, but Unohana made sure to give him a jar of the miracle cream Szayel had devised for dealing with such things.

After she got the antiviral IV drip going for Ggio, with Yumichika and Soi Fon standing silent vigil over the sick Arrancar, a panicked Tesra carried Tatsuki through the front doors, the front of his white uniform tainted red with blood. They'd been practicing swordsmanship when a loose pebble had slipped out from under Tatsuki's foot, resulting in Tesra's swing putting a deep gash across her shoulder blade, and a sprained ankle. The Arrancar was distraught about the fact he'd harmed his mate while Tatsuki, thankfully, seemed to be taking the whole thing in stride. Even though the young human woman wore a grimace of pain on her face as one of Unohana's staff knitted the wound closed with Kido, she kept reassuring Tesra that accidents happened and it wasn't the first time something like that had happened to her.

The afternoon had been abnormally busy and now… now _this_. Several servants from the Kuchiki Estate had been brought in, one woman having had a large chunk of flesh torn from the side of her face, ear and all. She'd been in shock and Unohana had her best healers working on the woman. The rest had reiatsu poisoning, a side effect of weaker souls forced to endure exposure to large amounts of reiatsu.

However, that hadn't been the worst of it.

Not by a long shot.

The worst of it lay motionless on the gurney before her. Kuchiki Byakuya barely breathed under the blood-stained sheets and the extent of his injuries made her want to sit down in the middle of the hallway and simply cry.

She knew Yammy tormented him, but this was enough to make her sick. She hadn't realized he'd suffered this badly and there seemed to be no end to his injuries. Deep lacerations covered his body. His anal passage was horribly mutilated and blood was still oozed out, accompanied by semen. His nipples were raw and red from the clamps, bleeding in a few places where the metal teeth of the clips penetrated his skin. The cock ring had bitten deeply into his flesh, leaving a red, bleeding ring around his now soft shaft. It would be some time before that particular wound healed and she did not envy him when he had to urinate. She'd hesitated to order a catheter for that very reason, as it might do more damage. His hip and shoulder joints showed severe strain and spoke of having been a hairsbreadth away from dislocation. There were finger-shaped bruises on his hips and large bruises covered his ribs. The rib bones were also bruised and a few were even cracked. His jaw showed signs of having been strained; the deep welts across his checks spoke of a gag that had been tied tightly to his face. His body was covered in several deep laceration from a whip or crop and he had a hole in his shoulder, going through the shoulder bone, that looked like a rod or sword had been jabbed through him. To top it all off, he was severely dehydrated and suffering from blood loss, a deadly combination.

It horrified her to see him like this, just as it had horrified her ever time Gin had come back so injured. The difference being, of course, that Aizen knew what he was doing whereas Yammy clearly did not. Untreated, she had no doubt that Byakuya would have bled out. In fact, fifteen more minutes and it would have been too late for anyone but Orihime to have saved him, and given the poisoning of Yammy's reiatsu in the sheer number of wounds, even that was debateable.

By the time she finally got him stabilized it was almost morning. Once she was certain he was resting as easily as was possible, she checked on her other patients. Gin was awake, shivering with fever and coughing every minute or so. He offered her a weak smile when she walked in but didn't attempt to speak. She stayed long enough to get some warm miso soup into him before sending him to sleep with a simple Kido spell.

Ggio was sleeping deeply, as was Soi Fon, when she stepped into their room. The former Taichou sat in one of the more comfortable chairs in the room, one hand resting on her belly and the other holding one of Ggio's. Someone had thoughtfully thrown a blanket over her shoulders and wadded up another one to provide the smaller woman with a pillow. Unohana didn't have to look far for that 'someone'. Yumichika was the only one still awake and he offered her a ghost of his once-dazzling smiles as she walked in.

"How are they doing?" she asked, keeping her voice low.

"As good as can be expected," he sighed. "Such an ugly thing they are being forced to endure."

"Barragan still intends on killing the child then?"

Yumichika nodded his head, a look of abhorrence on his face. She shared his hatred for the Second's plans. Perhaps she would speak to her husband about it. She knew that several of the others were not that pleased with Barragan's callous attitude towards the child. Perhaps she could get one of the others to adopt it after it was born.

"Please, let me know if they wake up," she instructed him.

"I will," he assured her.

Tesra and Tatsuki were in the next room, the two of them sharing the small bed. Tatsuki slept, curled up against Tesra's chest with her bandaged shoulder up off the bed and the arm with her IV line wrapped around his chest. For all of Tatsuki's bravado about the inevitability of training injuries, she'd lost a great deal of blood from her shoulder wound. Thankfully, the young human woman looked better already and would probably go home in a day or two, once Unohana was certain no infection had settled in. Bacteria didn't tend to live long on metal and Tesra took good care of his Zanpakuto, so the chances were slim. Still, it was better to be safe than sorry as Tatsuki had landed on her shoulder and who knew what she'd picked up from the dirt on the training field.

Tesra, on the other hand, was wide awake and had a rueful expression on his face.

"She is sleeping well?" Unohana asked.

"Yes. She woke up two hours ago complaining she was thirsty and her shoulder was sore so I helped her drink the tea you provided," he answered softly.

"That is good. Tesra-san, do not blame yourself for such accidents. As unhappy as it is for me to say it, as I dislike anyone coming to the 4th in pain, Tatsuki's injury is the one I'm the least worried about, and the only one I've seen today that does not fill me with deep sorrow," she sighed.

"Thank you, I think."

"I will leave you two. Try and get some rest yourself Tesra-san. You will do her no good if you are unable to care for her due to your own fatigue."

"I will try," he hastily replied.

"See that you do."

Unohana left the young couple and turned back towards Byakuya's room. The sun was coming up over the horizon at this point and thankfully, the noble still slept. The longer he did so, the more his body would have time to rest.

"WHERE IS HE?" A loud voice roared from the entranceway, followed by a rush of malicious reiatsu. "Get the fuck out of my way, trash!"

Unohana was generally a gentle person, but at present, she was furious, and not just because Yammy had nearly killed Byakuya, but because he was disrupting her Division and his oppressive reiatsu posed a threat to her patients.

"Yammy Llargo, you will cease your ranting at once," she ordered firmly as she marched into the lobby.

He turned his sneer her way, before it faltered slightly as he realized he was speaking to Aizen's wife and a woman whose power rivalled his own. Her staff retreated as she walked closer, heading towards the patient rooms to make sure the rush of malevolent reiatsu hadn't harmed any of the occupants.

"Where is my pet? I did not authorize for him to be taken here!" he snarled.

"Byakuya-san is recovering, and will not likely wake for days," she answered coldly. "I recall that my husband issued orders stating that you Espada were to take good care of those you have Claimed in this time of war. Yet Kuchiki Byakuya was brought to me nearly beaten to death. I am sure my husband will be pleased to know you disobeyed him."

She did not condone torture for any reason, but she was close to making an exception for Yammy's sorry carcass.

"Now, if you do not leave here at once, I will remove you myself," she said, the threat falling from her lips with ease.

"I would like to see you try," he growled, stalking up to her with clenched, raised fists.

She made herself ready to do so, to show him why even the former Sotaichou would meekly crawl back into bed when she so much as smiled at him, but she was spared from doing so by a new voice that joined the conversation. A pity really, because she really wanted to give Yammy a piece of her mind, and her fist, and he had given her the perfect excuse to exercise some skills she hadn't used in a long time.

"Now this is not what I expected to walk in on this morning when I came to see how your night went, my dear."

Both of them turned to face the newcomer. Unohana bowed lightly and greeted her husband softly, while Yammy went as white as a sheet and took several steps away from her.

"Yammy, is there a good reason for raising your voice to my wife?"

"She won't let me see my pet," he grumbled like a spoiled child being denied a toy.

"Why is Byakuya here?" Aizen asked, turning to Unohana with a frown on his face.

"He was severely beaten and will need several days, possibly a week or more, to recover before he can be discharged. Would you like a full report on his injuries?" she asked, holding out what looked like a thick stack of papers.

Aizen's frown deepened, which was never a good sign. Fortunately, that frown seemed to be levelled Yammy's way.

"Did I, or did I not, specifically order you to keep your pet in functioning condition, Yammy?" Aizen asked, eyes narrowing.

"He was disobeying," Yammy defended himself, a hint of panic in his voice.

"Are you saying he is no longer Claimed? Shall I have him executed?"

"No!"

"Are you certain Yammy? Or are you just incompetent when it comes to using your Claim?"

"I know how to use it!"

"Clearly not, if you cannot get you pet to obey a single command."

"What command couldn't Byakuya obey?" Unohana interjected, curious despite herself.

She knew Byakuya, and if there had been a way to obey a command and spare his staff from the suffering they'd clearly endured, he would have done so.

"His stupid sword wouldn't talk to me," he grumbled.

Unohana just looked at Yammy in shock, and even Aizen seemed mildly surprised.

"You beat him and raped him over something he had no control over?" she asked sharply, her anger readily apparent.

"Unohana…" Aizen warned her.

She forced her swell of enraged reiatsu to subside. Unohana was hard pressed to think of another time she'd been so furious. Upset yes, especially over the things Aizen had done to Gin, but he had never punished Gin for not doing something that was literally impossible.

"Come, Yammy, you and I need to have a little talk," Aizen ordered. "Wait for me outside,"

If it was at all possible, Yammy went even paler. "Y…yes, Kami-sama," he stammered, before bowing and exiting the building.

Aizen turned his attention back to his wife, taking in the shadows under her eyes and the slump in her shoulders that she simply didn't have enough energy to hide at present. Her brief burst of adrenaline over the challenge with Yammy was gone now, leaving exhaustion in it's wake. It had been a very long 24 hours.

"You, my dear, will go into your office and rest," he ordered. "Unless a battle occurs tonight or an emergency arises that only you can handle, I expect you in bed. You have already shirked your duties to me enough this week."

"As you wish," she offered him a bow.

"Excellent. See to it that Byakuya recovers. Senbonzakura is a strong asset to the war effort and I would hate to lose that particular weapon right now."

"I will," she said.

Aizen moved towards her and kissed her gently on the forehead. She quelled the sudden urge to reach up and wipe away any trace of his touch.

"I know you will, my darling wife," he smiled, before turning about and leaving.

After a moment, she felt her heart rate return to normal and she heard her staff start to filter back to their posts. She felt exhausted as the long hours and emotional upheaval finally caught up to her.

"I will be in my private chamber, resting, should anyone need me," she informed her staff, not looking at any of them lest her carefully constructed façade of calm crumble in front of them.

"Hai Taichou, I'll send some tea in to you in a few minutes," her current Fukutaichou responded.

"Thank you, I would like that."

She left the lobby and headed towards the couch in her office to get some much needed rest, but not before poking her nose in all of the rooms on her way back by. Everyone but Byakuya was awake now, the disturbance caused by Yammy's overbearing and ugly reiatsu having woken them all. She made a point to stop in Gin's room, if only to assure him that Aizen's displeasure had been for another, not them. The thin, silver-haired man fell back onto the pillows in a relieved heap and that one bit of body language almost undid her composure.

Unohana bowed and opened her office door. She waited until her second-in-command brought in a small pot of tea and a cup on one of standard hospital trays and left it on her desk. She kept her calm long enough to down a cup of the stuff, recognizing some of the herbs in it as ones that would help her relax enough to sleep. Considering her state of exhaustion, it might have been a bit of overkill on the part of her subordinate, but it was nice to know that someone who actually cared about her well-being had paid attention. Then she stretched out on the couch and slowly let her tranquil mask fall away, until all of the misery she'd witnessed overnight could be read on her face and in the tears that trickled down her cheeks to disappear into the upholstery as she cried herself to into a fitful sleep.

(POV)

"Really, Tatsuki-chan, a rock?" Orihime exclaimed, shaking her head in exasperation.

"Yeah, don't pretend it's never happened to you. As I recall, you used to be quite the klutz!" Tatsuki huffed.

Orihime giggled as her golden shield surrounded her childhood friend. Within minutes, the gash was gone, leaving Tatsuki's shoulder stiff, but fully-healed.

"There," Orihime smiled happily. "Why didn't you come see me when it happened?"

"It wasn't a big deal, and judging by the reiatsu storm going on, you were otherwise engaged." Tatsuki answered as she worked her upper arm to try to stretch the connecting muscle.

"Oh, right," Orihime blushed a lovely shade of crimson and had the good grace to seem embarrassed.

Tatsuki ceased moving her arm for a moment while Tesra removed the tape and stitches that had been used to pull her slashed up shoulder back together again. Her flesh was once more whole, looking as if she had never been wounded.

"Excellent job as always, Orihime-chan!" Tatsuki said with a grin. "Now that _that__'__s_ out of the way, who's up for a sparring session?"

Tesra gave his mate an odd look before shaking his head and pulling her flush against him. Tatsuki didn't resist and let him nestle against her, relaxing comfortably in his arms as he held her like a drowning man.

"I was so worried about you," he murmured into her hair. "When I saw the fountain of blood…" he shivered and swallowed the rest, unable to continue.

"I am fine," she assured him, sounding a little testy. "Now stop that or you'll have me crying, and I don't like crying," she told him, although her voice did waver a bit. "Now, about that training…"

"I would love to Tatsuki-chan, but I agreed to help heal as many as I could before the next battle," Orihime sighed. "What about Rangiku? Now that the Defence Net is down is Nnoitra-san letting her train again?"

"Yes, but we have been training together for so long now that there really isn't much more we can learn from each other. We have trained together so long now that our regimen is stagnant and we need fresh blood. I heard yours tastes good, if Ulquiorra's moans are anything to go by," Tatsuki sent her childhood friend a lecherous smirk.

Orihime's blush deepened by a few shades of pink and she stuttered for a moment before regaining her composure.

"Well, what about Lilinette-chan?" she suggested. "She trained with us for a little while, remember? Oh, and Hana-chan too, but she might be too busy with work now that she's a Shinigami."

"Those are good possibilities," Tatsuki agreed. "Anyhow, we should probably leave and give up the room and bed for someone who needs it more than I do."

"And I should go help the next person." Orihime sighed. "I'll try and stop by if I finish here at a reasonable time."

"Here's hoping."

Tatsuki jumped from the bed and stretched before heading for the door, Tesra by her side. The training conundrum was starting to get to her. As she had told Orihime, she and Rangiku had almost exhausted every avenue they had to work with and were really only keeping it up to stay in shape. Rangiku especially fussed over having been forced into a house-wife situation where the only exercise she truly got was doing the household chores. Lately she had been whining about weight gain. Tatsuki had taken one look at her figure and thought her friend was just being paranoid.

They passed by one of the other active Divisions on their way towards the main gate that would let them out into the 1st District where most of the Espada and a good number of Numeros had claimed land. She paused, listening to the sounds of a weapons drill coming from behind the wall.

"Hey, Tesra?"

"Hmm?"

"What would you think if I started hanging around Karin and her Division, you know, for the sake of training? I am not thinking about becoming a Shinigami, but getting in on some weapons classes might help me get better. They'd also allow me to learn something more than what I can get from Rangiku right now" she explained. Tesra came to a standstill, as if giving her idea some thought, then nodded.

"If that is what you desire," he agreed.

"Then I'll look into it tomorrow," she said before continuing onwards towards the main gate.

(POV)

Ajuga was in a foul mood as she stormed through the 4th Division for the second time that day. She had arrived earlier in the afternoon to request some supplies. Szayel had run out of formaldehyde and needed a few things for the dissection as well. She had barely been through the doors when she had caught the scent of Byakuya's blood, as well as Gin's scent, which sent a warning jolt of adrenaline through her system. He had told her long ago that he wasn't permitted to leave the Palace _except_ on special occasions.

She didn't like what 'special occasion' might mean this time around for Gin.

She'd rushed to Byakuya's room first, startling nurses as she went. He was in rough shape and she felt an overwhelming urge to kill Yammy, one she barely managed to keep in check. He was unconscious, his body hooked up to several machines. It reminded her far too much of the times 'take-ji had been similarly tethered and she grabbed his chart at the end of the bed, understanding most of it because of the many times Jushiro had been taken here for a respite from his illness.

"Excuse me, but you shouldn't be in here. Kuchiki-sama needs his rest and isn't to be disturbed," a soft voice spoke from the door.

Ajuga turned a nasty glare on the nurse, who squeaked and ran when she realized she'd pissed off an Arrancar, not just some concerned Shinigami from the 2nd Division. Ajuga ignored her and set the chart back down before taking one limp, pale hand in hers, shocked at how cold it felt.

"Oh Bya-san," she whispered. "Would that I could do something, but even if I was strong enough to take him on, Aizen," she spat the name, "would just step in anyway and Yammy might use the Claim to make you fight me too," she sighed.

Aizen had forbidden them from fighting over Claiming rights, and any fight on Byakuya's half would fall under such a category. Ajuga truly hated Aizen, a hate that she did her best to hide as best she could. She'd seen Aizen's cruelty up close when she'd watched him strip the flesh from Gin's back over something as stupid as wet tiles in a bathroom and a little bit of broken glass. She still had nightmares over it sometimes, although she told her mother when she asked that it was simply dreams of a hunt gone wrong.

"Ajuga-chan," another soft voice from the door called, but this one was familiar and welcomed.

"Will Bya-san be okay?" she asked, not looking up.

"It will take some time, but he will recover," Unohana assured her as the elderly woman joined her at the bedside.

"He's so cold," Ajuga whispered.

"He lost a great deal of blood. A chilled body is usually a side effect of exsanguination. He will recover, but it will take some time."

"Orihime-neesan could fix him."

"Probably, but doing so would just return him to Yammy sooner. It would be best to let him recover on his own."

Ajuga nodded her head in agreement before forcing herself to stand up and leave the room, the only sound that of the machinery. Unohana had remained in the room, picking up the chart and recording the next set of vitals. Ajuga took that time to follow the other scent she had caught at the door: Gin's.

She found him in a room in a secluded wing. He was sleeping as well, but unlike Byakuya he only smelled of sickness and the only thing he had attached to him was an IV line. She had ducked out, got the formaldehyde Szayel had asked for, ran it back to him and told him she had something she had to do and didn't know when she would be back, before bolting. Now she was storming down the halls for the second time that day, heading for Gin's room first. He was awake now, if 'awake' meant 'flat on one's back with one's eyes half-open.'

"Ajuga-chan?"

Gin's voice sounded terribly weak

"I brought you something to eat. I know the food here ain't bad, but it gets boring after a while," she chuckled, covering her anger at his condition with as much cheer as she could muster. Ajuga set the paper bag down she carried on the table in front of him. "I still have no idea how you could like these things," she commented as she made a disgusted face.

"Ya should'na be here," he commented, but he did pick up the bag with a hand that showed just how tired and worn down he was and his blue eyes lit up when he saw what it contained. "Ya remembered!" he weakly exclaimed, surprised.

"How could I forget? I swear I can still taste the damn thing" she shivered and stuck her tongue out. "You _should_ be eating miso soup, but Mama always said one has to heal the soul _and_ the body."

Gin probably would have said something, but his mouth was full as he took a large bite out of the dried persimmon he cradled. It was as if the persimmons were very fruit of life and he hadn't eaten in a year. Ajuga took the opportunity to bow to him.

"I am sorry I haven't been by to visit as much lately," she apologized. "You must get lonely being stuck in that room all day by yourself."

"S' not so bad. Unohana is there ev'ry evening an' she's a'ways nice ta me."

"You're a terrible liar," she declared, her voice flat. "Not about Unohana-san being nice, but the other part."

"Really? I use 'ta be really good at it," he offered her a bittersweet smile, his eyes closed.

"Well, you suck at it now," she snorted.

They sat in companionable silence for a bit while Gin finished the treat he was working on plus one more. She'd managed to continue her odd visits to the Palace, despite her promise to Hana-chan. Ajuga just couldn't leave him to suffer alone, plus she got a thrill out of the danger that sneaking in and out of Aizen's Palace brought her. She knew her mother would have a meltdown if Karin ever found out. Somehow, she also knew her father would appreciate and approve of the invasion into Kami's sanctuary, although he would probably chew her out anyway for appearances sake. Her father loved her mother too much to risk having sex withheld.

"So, how long are you going to be here?" Ajuga asked after he finished his third one.

"I dun know. A day or two, at minimum…" he answered brokenly.

"I guess it's a good thing Orihime-neesan can't cure sickness, hmm?" Ajuga commented. "Although, if she could, than 'take-ji would be in full health."

"How is Ukitake-san?" Gin asked.

"He's doing much better. The drugs Mama got him started on are keeping the TuberLocust under control. It still flares up if he's too stressed out, but otherwise he's the picture of health" she answered. He seemed relieved about that.

"Have you seen Rangiku?"

This time the man's voice was very quiet and tinged with worry.

"Not lately, I should probably visit her and 'tsuki-neechan," Ajuga mused thoughtfully. "It's been busy with the battles, although Mama gets upset that I keep participating," she sighed in annoyance. "Anyhow, they were both fine last time I saw them, maybe a bit stir crazy because Nnoitra still keeps her locked up in the house all day. 'tsuki-neechan tries to spend as much time there as she can with Tesra-niisan."

"It's good she has a friend," he smiled weakly.

"Yeah," Ajuga agreed. "But you should probably get some more sleep," Ajuga commented. "If Unohana-Taichou finds out I've been keeping you up she might not let me see Bya-san."

"Hmm," he agreed, eyes already drifting shut again before he bolted awake. "Byakuya's here?"

The look on his face made Ajuga want to kick herself for opening her mouth. What was done was done, however. She sighed and tried to keep her explanation brief.

"Yammy hurt him really bad. Unohana-Taichou seemed really upset over it too. He's hooked up to a lot of machines right now but he's stable" she answered with a growl.

Ajuga forced her temper to cool before she did something rash. Instead, she persuaded Gin to lie back down and tucked the covers around his shoulders. She had learned her lesson about keeping her temper under control over issues like this when she had shredded her mother's arms the night Aizen had nearly blinded Jushiro. She never wanted to hurt a friend or family member like that again. As Starrk had coldly pointed out to her afterwards, she was lucky her claws hadn't hit a major artery or her mother might not have survived.

At the time she'd been upset, but now she recalled the little talk Starrk had had with her, once she calmed down a bit, about restraining oneself least she hurt others around her. He was their little pack's Alpha, albeit a lazy one that let her Papa run the joint. She knew better than to disobey or truly challenge him. Therefore, as hard and as difficult as it was, she curbed her instincts, all of which screamed out to her to maim and destroy Yammy Llargo in a way worse than what she had once wanted to do to Aizen for hurting 'take-ji.

"You need to rest," she chided Gin, pulling the coverlet up.

"Hai, hai…" he agreed, but she could tell he was worried.

"I'll let you know how he's doing when I see you again, okay?" she offered.

"I would like that, thank you, Ajuga-chan."

"No problem," she smiled.

With Gin seen too, she returned to Byakuya's room. She was happy to see some of the machines had been removed and he was looking a little healthier. She could feel trace levels of Orihime's reiatsu near the bed, indicating that Unohana had probably asked Ulquiorra's mate to tend to the worse of the injuries, which meant that even though the healer wanted Byakuya to take as much time here to heal, the extent of the damage to her calligraphy teacher had been graver than initially thought. It was one thing to delay Byakuya's full recovery to keep him out of Yammy's hands as long as possible; it was another to leave him in critical condition.

Ajuga sat down in the spare chair and took one pale hand into her own. It was still cold but at least it sounded like he was breathing easier and it was a lot quieter in the room without all the equipment running. She held his hand for some time before her back started to cramp from leaning forward.

She gently replaced his hand under the blankets before standing up. At the nearest Nurses' Station, she asked for some blank paper and a calligraphy set. Since all of the Divisions still used the old ink, brush and ink wells for their reports, it was easy to procure one. She returned to Byakuya's room, laid out the paper on the small desk by his bed, got the ink well going, and stared at the blank sheet of paper for some time before finally dipping the brush into the ink and setting to work.

She paused when Unohana came in to check on Byakuya. Ajuga could smell the salt water on her indicating she'd been crying at some point today. Ajuga didn't blame her. What Yammy had done to Byakuya almost had her in tears and the only thing holding her back was the disgustingly, uncomfortable knowledge that Yammy was stronger than her and still had a free Claim slot. She did not want to entertain the thought of picking a fight she wasn't sure she could win outright and quickly brushed it aside.

"Ajuga, I didn't realize you were still here," Unohana commented.

"Sorry. I assure you I have just been sitting here keeping him company. Unfortunately, I know the drill."

"It's quite alright. I think Byakuya-san would appreciate the company, even though he would never say so" Unohana assured her. "I do have to ask you to leave for now though while I check him over and run a few tests. I have not been authorized by his family to share his condition with outsiders."

Unohana sounded apologetic about this.

"That's okay. I wanted to check up on another friend anyway" Ajuga assured her. "Will it be okay if I return once you're done… for a little while?"

"Of course," Unohana offered her a small smile.

"I'll be back in an hour or so then."

Ajuga left her things on the table and walked back down the corridors to Gin's room. He was sleeping and she left him to it. She did leave him a note though, letting him know she had checked in on him and that Byakuya was all right. She added that she would check on Rangiku-neechan for him as well. With an hour to kill, she left for Tatsuki and Tesra's house. If she was lucky, they would be there and she could ask Tatsuki how Rangiku was doing. It wasn't that Ajuga necessarily feared Nnoitra but she wasn't exactly on friendly terms with him either and it was best to avoid situations that could lead to trouble.

* * *

Hi all. I have gone back to work and have been very sick on top of it, so this is a quick update. Still only halfway through the next Real King chapter, no ETA on that one I am afraid. One of the girls at work is beyond very sick and I had to pick up all of her shifts since only a few of us are trained and certified to do what needs to be done. So add being bone tired on top of it.

Thank you everyone who reviewed, I appreciate it. The darker chapters always receive the least amount of feed back I find.

Next Chapter: Yammy gets a bit of punishment, Karin is giving a mission, and Renji begins to lose some of his detest towards Szayel.

This weeks questions: if you could have anyone's Resurreccion, whose would it be? There are some good ones, and it's honestly a hard choice, but maybe I would go with Starrk's. A large pack of wolves and duel pistols that shoot Cero's! Epic.


	11. Punihments

Punishments

Aizen was very unhappy. No, he thought, 'unhappy' was far too mild a word to describe his state of mind. First, his wife had failed, again, to be in bed upon his arrival home, making it four times within the last week. He expected such to happen when a battle occurred, hence why two of those times had been acceptable and expected, but not on a calm night like this. To add to his displeasure, his staff had informed him that the reason the room that should have held his two toys was empty was because Gin had relapsed and Unohana had brought him back to the 4th. He might have been more upset that she had brought him down herself when they had servants capable of doing so, but the gate guards had informed him that she'd left _two hours_ before she was expected to be in bed waiting for him, and that told him something else was going on. He was about to leave for the 4 Division for answers when a member from that Division came jogging up to the palace gates, panic written all his face.

"Kami-sama," the Shinigami dropped to ground in proper bow of respect.

"Speak," he ordered.

"I am here to inform you that Unohana-Taichou is in the middle of conducting major surgery on a critically injured patient. She apologizes for failing in her duty to serve you and is uncertain on how long it will take to stabilize the patient. She would also like to apologize for not informing you sooner, but she lost track of the time in the surgery room."

Aizen was impressed that, while the subordinate was clearly shaking in fear, his voice was steady. He was not overly surprised as he'd seen even the most timid member of the 4th Division tend to the needs of members from the highly aggressive former 11th. That entire Division had gone down fighting, with the exception of three. One was now a prostitute for Barragan and the other two were running with the Escapees. The 4th Division remained alive, for the most part. He supposed there was a lesson in there for those who chose to look for one.

"I see. See to it that she rests and gets something to eat when she gets out of surgery," he ordered.

"Hai, Kami-sama."

"You are dismissed."

He didn't watch the man leave, but rather retired for dinner before taking his pleasure of the latest serving girl. It wasn't until the next morning that he walked down to the 4th. Unohana had not returned home yet. That told him that the patient must have been in dire straits. He knew that Unohana would not risk his ire so soon after the last altercation as she cared far too much for Gin's well-being. He expected to arrive at the 4th to find his wife had just gone to bed in her Division quarters.

He did not expect to walk into the middle of a budding fight.

Yammy was screaming at his wife, who held her ground and seemed to be losing what little of her patience she had left. Not that just anyone would be able to tell. She reeked of exhaustion, but again, that would have been apparent only to those who knew her well.

"Now this is not what I expected to walk in on this morning when I came to see how your night went, my dear," he spoke up, drawing their attention.

Unohana bowed lightly and murmured a proper greeting. Yammy, wisely, had taken several steps away from his wife and seemed about to piss himself. Even someone like the Tenth knew better than to be so forward with his wife when he was standing there.

"Yammy, is there a good reason for raising your voice to my wife?" he asked. Of course, in Aizen's mind such a reason did not exist, but it would be interesting to see what excuse the idiot could concoct.

"She won't let me see my pet," he grumbled like a spoiled child being denied a toy.

"Why is Byakuya here?" Aizen inquired, turning to his wife.

There hadn't been a battle of any kind that day and by its nature, Senbonzakura usually kept the Kuchiki heir from injury. He suspected he knew the answer and Unohana's reply confirmed it. He was impressed she was able to keep her voice steady as she answered him, despite her upset emotions and exhaustion. When she was done with her report, he let his expression do the talking for him and glared at Yammy.

"Did I, or did I not, specifically order you to keep your pet in functioning condition, Yammy?"Aizen prompted, hoping that a repetition of that order would jog the lout's memory.

He had no such luck.

"He was disobeying!" Yammy protested, sounding a bit panicked.

"Are you saying he is no longer Claimed? Shall I have him executed?" he inquired, although he doubted that Byakuya's Claim had fallen off. Of all of the 'pets', Byakuya's Claim seemed to be refreshed on a weekly basis, if not more often.

"No!"

"Are you certain Yammy? Or are you just incompetent when it comes to using your Claim?"

Aizen tossed the challenge out there, to see what the Tenth would do. He knew how Claims worked. There was no way Byakuya could have ignored or disobeyed a direct order coming from Yammy. Yammy's lack of tact and questionable intelligence made his orders often simple and concise. Ironically, that made it much harder for someone to squeak around them.

"I know how to use it."

"Clearly not, if you cannot get your pet to obey a single command."

"What command couldn't Byakuya obey?" Unohana suddenly asked.

Aizen held back a sigh. He had been working up to that question. It was always best to get people on the defensive so they wouldn't have time to concoct a lie. People trying to keep their hide, proverbial or otherwise, intact were frequently far more truthful than those that had the time to think up excuses. Fortunately, Yammy was about as mentally agile as a boulder and his answer took Aizen by surprise.

How had Yammy had ever gotten the idea he could speak to Senbonzakura? He planned on learning just that, but first he needed to get his wife calmed down and rested.

"Unohana…" he warned her before she could get more than a sentence of her upcoming rant up.

The fact she was even about to let loose verbally demonstrated just exhausted she was. Yammy must have really ladled on the abuse this time, and Aizen was not pleased about it or the effect it had on his wife.

"Come, Yammy, you and I need to have a little talk. Wait for me outside."

Yammy's brain finally registered that he was in deep trouble. "Y…yes, Kami-sama," he stuttered, before making what amounted to a temporary escape

"You, my dear, will go into your office and rest," he ordered. "Unless a battle occurs tonight or an emergency arises that only you can handle, I expect you in bed. You have already shirked your duties to me enough this week," he warned her.

While he was not pleased that she had failed him twice in such a short amount of time, for her to be this exhausted indicated that Byakuya must have been very beaten up, and that angered him. It meant that Yammy had disobeyed his orders for his Espada to keep their pets in good enough condition to fight. Then Aizen remembered which of his Espada he had to deal with.

"_Granted, it__'__s been some time since I issued that order. It__'__s been over 5 years now. I suppose the real wonder is that he obeyed for that long,__"_Aizen conceded.

"As you wish," Unohana offered him a bow.

"Excellent. See to it that Byakuya recovers. Senbonzakura is a strong asset to the war and I would hate to lose that particular weapon right now."

Byakuya's Bankai was capable of holding entire quadrants of the field and that was a big asset giving the number of insects that threw themselves against them. Byakuya himself was also an accomplished soldier and one that didn't need too much direction. Good, intelligent warriors were hard to find and if the war dragged on, and if Yammy couldn't keep his hands to himself, well, Byakuya was a bigger asset than Yammy against the Swarm. Aizen considered the possibility of a transfer of ownership.

"_Ulquiorra maybe,__"_he mused. _"__He still has a Claim spot free and is a prime example of loyalty. Perhaps Harribel would be interested in him too.__"_

He put the thought aside for the moment as Unohana assured him she would rest. He gently kissed her forehead before dismissing her. Then he went to deal with a problem he hadn't expected to have to manage today.

Yammy was waiting for him by the gates to the 4th Division, and while he had regained a bit of colour, he still looked fearful. Aizen was pleased with that, at least. He indicated the Espada should follow him as they began to walk down the street towards his palace.

"Did I, or did I not, tell you that you were to keep your pet functional at all times?"

"Yes Kami-sama," Yammy mumbled. "You did."

"Then, why did you disobey me?" he asked, even though he had an idea about what the dolt would say.

Every Espada had an aspect and Yammy's was that of rage. Once he started getting angry, the violence tended to escalate. If Byakuya had been unable to comply with a Claim enforced-order it definitely would have made Yammy angry, and the continuation of perceived defiance would only work the Tenth up that much more. In short, he could not be too upset with Yammy, much in the same way one ought not to be too upset over a spider eating a fly. It was simply their nature and no amount of beatings or positive reinforcement would change it. Any behavioural modification would prove temporary as well.

Yammy confirmed what he already knew, the Espada groping for words to try and explain himself and stumbling over his sentences. Aizen only paid him partial attention. Punishing Yammy wasn't going to change anything in the long run, but it would take care of the issue in the short term. He continued to ignore Yammy's whiny rambling as he pondered what he was going to do to make certain something like this didn't happen again.

His first choice, physical torture, would have to be the primary method. His other methods, the first being mental, would be lost on Yammy while the second, rape, would be unpleasant for him. Yammy's sheer ugliness decided that for him. A pity, because torture always turned him on and he was getting tired of the domestic help at the Palace. He was going to have to rotate the staff out again soon, and training a new round of servants would take time and resources.

Aizen's mind drifted to the two male pieces of meat he enjoyed making squirm and whimper beneath him. Unfortunately, Gin was out of commission as he was in the 4th with pneumonia. His other favourite whipping boy, Szayel, had taken refuge behind Karin's hakama and hadn't done anything lately that demanded punishment. Granted, Aizen could always think up a reason. There was that bit of back talk when the Defence Net went down. Then he frowned irritably. He had also promised Karin and Grimmjow that they would deal out any punishments Szayel earned, and he _was_ a god of his word.

Unless, of course, they were not here to mete that punishment out. That was always an option. A smile crossed his face at the thought and Yammy instantly stopped blabbering. It was amazing how a creature as large as Yammy could suddenly cringe and appear like a small frightened rabbit.

"Does distance affect what a Claimer feels coming from the one Claimed?" Aizen asked the Espada, his tone as casual as if they were discussing the weather.

"Yes," Yammy answered hesitantly, obviously confused by the sudden change in topic.

"Good."

His smile widened and Yammy actually began to shake in fear. Good, he loved the taste of fear. By now, they had reached the entrance to his Palace.

"Please be so kind as to escort my guest to the basement," Aizen ordered the two guards at the gate.

"Basement? What's down there?" Yammy asked. His brows knitted together as if his brain was pulling double duty trying to figure out what Aizen had arranged.

"You will find out soon enough. I would be very upset to hear you didn't want to see it."

Yammy wisely followed the two guards into the palace. Two more quickly took their place.

"Please send for Karin, Grimmjow and Starrk. I have a mission for them," Aizen ordered one of the new set of guards to emerge from the gatehouse.

The Arrancar he selected saluted smartly before disappearing into a Sonido. Aizen continued back to his chambers. He had planned on doing this anyway, but Yammy's fuck-up pushed the date forward a little bit. It would be better to kill two birds with one stone. He tracked Yammy's reiatsu down to the basement and his smile darkened when he felt the spike of terror that raced through it. Even Yammy could recognize a torture chamber when he saw it.

Aizen sent out a wash of his reiatsu towards the Espada, freezing him in place and crushing him beneath his overwhelming power before Yammy could attempt to kill the guards escorting him to escape. It was far more satisfying tasting the terror, knowing that every minute his victim got to stare at the implements of pain that filled his playroom in the basement was another minute that terror intensified. Even someone with Yammy's limited imagination could think up all sorts of horrible ways in which it could be used.

He felt himself getting hard from just a small taste of the fright coming from his private playroom and shifted a bit so he was more comfortable. Perhaps one of the servant girls would have to do for now, before he saw to Yammy's punishment. First, he had to send out those he had summoned on their mission. Ironically, it was a real mission that would benefit his Empire and not just one to get them out from underfoot so he could indulge himself. It wasn't as if he couldn't just take what he wanted, as no one would truly be able to stop him, but it was far more satisfying to play these games, to manipulate people into taking the direction he desired. It made the spoils all the sweeter.

After a ten minute wait the three he had summoned arrived. Starrk looked half-asleep, Grimmjow looked annoyed and Karin looked weary.

"Ah, excellent," he practically purred. "Thank you for coming so quickly. I have decided to initiate the next phase of the Portal Scarab Operation ahead of schedule. I trust you know what to do?" he asked.

All three gave varying forms of agreement and did a poor job of hiding their surprise. The initial plan had been to send them out next week. Ah well, so far Karin had failed to see the portals but had caught sight of the Swarm, which indicated that the portals created by the Swarm's Scarabs were going up just out of her current range.

"I ask that you leave immediately after informing your charges. Karin, speak to my quartermaster on the way out and he will see to it that you are properly provisioned for the trip."

"Hai, Kami-sama," she bowed.

Karin looked like she wanted to argue or protest, but she clearly bit her tongue. Grimmjow also looked displeased, but an elbow into his side by his pet silenced him before he could protest. Aizen was highly amused, but kept it to himself. Starrk also appeared annoyed but he expected that, since anything that involved actual effort annoyed the male half of the Primera.

Aizen dismissed them and remained sitting regally while the three retreated from his presence. He waited until he felt them arrive at the quartermaster's office before rising from his throne. With business out of the way, it was time for some pleasure. The only question was which servant girl he should summon to relieve his sexual tension on before heading to the basement. Perhaps the one that, in the right light and with her hair done up in that adorable little bun, reminded him of Hinamori-chan. He would need to give them some time to get some distance before he summoned Szayel.

"_Tomorrow evening should suffice, as much as it will be annoying to have to wait. Still, a little bit of anticipation makes the meal tastier,__"_he couldn't help but to think with a smirk.

(POV)

When the summons to Aizen's Palace came, Renji felt his heart leap into his throat. Apprehension fought it out with stone-cold fear for supremacy. His first worry was that the jig was up and that Aizen had learned that it was Nel, one of Yoruichi's little band of Escapees, that held his Claim and not Szayel. Such information would probably lead to a swift, if he were lucky, execution. It would probably be a long, slow and painful one if Aizen discovered he's been passing on information to her. He wasn't the only one of course. Nel had let slip that Karin and Yoruichi shared the occasional correspondence, which took him by surprise. Then again, that little information exchange the two women had going was what had allowed Renji to fly under Aizen's radar for the last five years, meeting in secret with one of the best things that had ever happened to him in this or any other Realm. What hadn't taken him by surprise was learning that Yoruichi still dropped by the Kuchiki Estate a handful of times a year.

He wondered what the two talked about while she was there. It wasn't as if she could have missed what his former Taichou had to endure at the brute's hands.

The guards at the entrance to Aizen's Palace let him pass without confrontation and a male servant met him on the other side of the elaborate gates. The silent young man led him into the Palace and Renji's anxiety skyrocketed as they walked down a set of stairs. As they descended his nose picked up the metallic scent of blood and the stink of fear. Both scents grew stronger the farther down the stairs he walked. He could also hear the sound of someone spraying water, and, very faintly, whimpering.

The servant left him standing in front of a set of closed doors and scuttled quickly away without another word. Renji didn't blame him. The iron-dark stench of freshly spilled blood was thick in the air, as were a slew of other scents that took him a moment to place. When he figured out what they were, he had to steel himself, lest he imitate the servant and flee. It had been some time since he'd had to survive on the wild streets of one of the worst Rukongai districts, but he would never forget the stale, and even fresh, smell of sweat, alcohol, blood and semen. The only thing missing was the sharp reek of cheap, plentiful sake spilled on the ground, soaking through clothing and puked up in back alleys.

Uncertain of what he was supposed to do, and wanting to run the longer he stayed there, he hesitantly knocked on the door. He didn't have to wait long before someone bid him enter. He screwed up his courage, preparing for what might await him on the other side. Renji opened the heavy door and barely made it a step into the room before his blood ran cold.

He stood in a huge room that seemed to be a combination of torture chamber, throne room and BDSM-designed bedroom. His eyes took a second to adjust before he realized there was a large pool of red liquid under what looked like the prone figure of… Yammy Llargo. The Espada seemed to be unconscious and despite the horrific sight, Renji couldn't help but feel like the bastard got a small taste of what he deserved. To Renji's eye, no stranger to wounds having spent time in the 11th Division, it looked as if Yammy had been strung up there for a day or two and his back whipped until the flesh of it hung in tatters.

After what Renji had learned the bastard did to Byakuya, the punishment almost seemed too light, even as he felt disgust that anyone could do such a thing to another. The sound of water spraying he'd heard earlier came from Ichimaru Gin, looking very sick and definitely pale as he sprayed down that end of the room to wash the standing blood down a drain in the floor, pausing only to cough into the sleeve of his simple, white kimono. The hem was stained red with blood but it didn't look like Aizen had hurt Gin, at least not lately.

Renji tore his eyes away from the mess in the corner, only to discover something worse on the other side of the room. He'd heard about things like this happening, Karin and Nemu had informed him repeatedly that it did, but this was the first time he'd ever witnessed it and he felt sick to his stomach.

Aizen was sitting in his throne, a dreamy, pleased smile on his lips as he brushed a hand through blood-matted, pink strands while the head attached to the hair bobbed between his legs. Renji hardly noticed the smile or Aizen at all, as he stared wide-eyed at the blood streaming down Szayel's naked back and the white and red fluid staining his thighs. Dark, black-and-purple bruises formed on his rear, his back and his thighs and the whimpering he'd caught earlier came from the Espada, forced to take Aizen's engorged length deep down his throat.

"Ah, Abarai, you have excellent timing. I am almost done here, but I fear your Master will be unable to walk home on his own." The hand that had been stroking through Szayel's bloodstained hair came down the side of Szayel's face in a mockery of a comforting caress.

Renji was too horrified to speak, too shocked to breathe and probably would have raced forward to separate them had not some tactically detached part of his brain intervened and told his body to stay where it was if he wanted to walk away unscathed. By the time he got himself together, Aizen let out a pleased sigh before brushing Szayel off of his lap as if he was a speck of unwanted dirt.

Szayel fell to the floor with a whimper, gagging and curled up pathetically. Aizen rose to his feet, tucked himself away, fixed his hakama, and stepped over the quivering, bloody mess at his feet.

"Kindly escort your Master home," Aizen smiled benignly at him before gazing down at the shivering body at his feet. "I trust you have learned your lesson?"

Szayel gave a nod of his head.

"Excellent. I will see you and your son tomorrow afternoon. I can't wait to see what kind of projects Abisara-kun has been working on."

With that, Aizen waltzed out of the room, leaving the door open behind him.

Renji quickly moved to Szayel's side, his revulsion growing as he finally got a look at the damage done to the Espada's front.

The two of them had reached a tentative truce over the years, but deep down Renji had still harboured some bitterness for the experiments, Szayel's initial rape of his person when he'd first Claimed him, and the one terrible discovery, just three years ago that led to a failed attempt on his part to strangle the scientist. There were mitigating circumstances in each instance, but the resentment the redhead felt lingered, refusing to die on principle.

What little of the antipathy he still felt vanished as he surveyed the nightmarish mess Aizen had blithely made out of one of his own subordinates. In fact, it rolled over on its back and died a swift and certain death.

"Szayel," he called hesitantly, not knowing where to start.

"Just take me home," Szayel whispered, weakly.

"Sure."

Renji looked around for Szayel's clothes, but all he found was a pile of bloody tatters over by a bed like structure that still gleamed wetly from a recent spraying-down. Lacking anything else, Renji shrugged out of the top part of his uniform instead and wrapped his kosode around the quivering Arrancar. The redhead was taller and broader-shouldered than Szayel and it might cover the worst of things.

He had no idea what to say, so he kept his mouth shut, even as he noticed the tears streaming down Szayel's face and the cum staining his lips. Belatedly, he realized the shaking was due to Szayel's broken sobbing. His front was just as damaged as his back and blood oozed from the red welts that wrapped around Szayel's wrist and ankles. Those wounds, Renji knew, came from struggling against restraints. There was even some purple bruising starting to show up around the corners of Szayel's mouth, which meant that Aizen had gagged him at some point.

"Ya should get 'im home," Gin spoke up weakly, then turned away. "Do it quick, 'fore Kami changes 'is mind."

"Yeah," Renji agreed as he picked up his burden bridal style.

Szayel cried out softly in pain but there was nothing Renji could do about it. There didn't seem to be a good way to carry him, as all of the best ways to carry an injured person, at least in Renji's experience, would put undue pressure on Szayel's wounded body. The best he could do was to get Szayel somewhere that could provide some treatment and fast.

He launched into Shunpo the moment he was clear of the Palace Gates, ignoring how much blood had already seeped through the uniform top and smeared his tattooed chest and arms. He felt sick to his stomach and held back the urge to hurl only through sheer will power. Szayel was not so lucky, but at least he managed to warn Renji so he had time to set Szayel down and hold onto him while he vomited into a planting of bushes. The shaking intensified after that and Renji had to hold onto his burden more tightly as he continued the headlong rush to get Szayel home.

"What kind of crazy, fucked- up person punishes one person for beating their subordinate into a bloody pulp, and then turns around and does the same thing to one of his?" Renji couldn't help but to mutter in disgust.

If Szayel heard him, he didn't answer.

Then he thought about what he'd originally intended to do today and the same cold that filled his veins sank to the pit of his stomach. Abisara and Vindula… there was no way in hell he would let his charges see their father looking like this. Renji almost came to a stop as he considered the implications of rushing into the Science and Research Building, Szayel's home, with his burden. He could imagine the horrified expressions both youngsters would have, seeing their Otou-san looking like something a bear had mauled and reeking of blood, fear and sex.

He would never subject Vindula to that kind of thing again. Once was enough and he had been the one bearing most of the blood and wounds. He wouldn't even take the chance.

Renji wasn't all that great at sensing reiatsu, but he could often find the twins without too much trouble. Abisara was down in one of the invention research labs, a good distance away from the biological ones. Blessedly, Vindula was not there at all, most likely somewhere with Hana, Ajuga or Lilinette. Fortune was with him today, it would seem, even if the bitch had passed Szayel by completely.

He picked up the pace before either of the twins figured out he was back, rushing in through the front doors and towards one of the medical labs. The staff stared after him in surprise, but he paid them no mind other than to order the closest person in a lab coat to find Nemu and send her, by herself, to Laboratory 5, only to rectify that order when Szayel whimpered out 'room.'

Renji didn't question the decision and simply changed course to carry the Espada to the set of suites Szayel and his family used as their living quarters. Not that the one Renji had here was bad, but his small set of rooms was nowhere near this elegant. They were definitely better than the large, subterranean chamber he had temporarily lived in until the issue of his Claim had been addressed and far outweighed the little closet he'd apparently rested in during his 'long sleep,' as he referred to the time that had passed while his soul had been shattered.

"Bathroom," the scientist muttered thickly.

Renji nodded and helped Szayel into the bathroom, setting him down on the shower floor before reaching up and turning the taps on. Water sprayed down on them but he didn't mind. He needed a rinse as well with the blood coating his chest and staining his hakama.

With deliberate gentleness, he slowly striped his sodden, bloodstained kosode from Szayel's shivering body. His patient remained limp in his arms as Renji set about cleaning the bloody mess up. The water running down the drain ran bright red for some time and the once white washcloth quickly took on the same shade as Renji's hair.

Nemu arrived ten minutes later, a look of worry on her normally stoic face. She silently joined them and pulled Szayel's head into her lap, where she proceeded, gently, to wash the blood out of his hair. Renji reached up above their heads and passed her the bottles of shampoo and conditioner when she softly asked for it.

No further words were exchanged between the three and the only noise was the hiss of the shower running and the occasional gurgle from the drain. Renji silently continued to clean up blood, scrubbing the cuts clean and holding back a foul oath when he noticed that Szayel's back hadn't been lashed with a whip as he'd first assumed, but rather carved up with a knife, or some other sharp implement. The wounds formed kanji. Szayel flinched periodically in pain and the odd whimper escaped his throat, but otherwise he made no protest. When most of Szayel was cleaned up, Renji finally found himself hesitating. The last part of Szayel's body that needed tending to was rather private.

Most of the shivering had finally ceased and Renji finally broke the silence.

"Do you want to finish cleaning up on your own?" he asked softly.

"Yes, I think I can manage the rest from here. Could you go make some tea, the one in the red jar on the top shelf in the back?" Szayel requested. His voice wavered a bit, but otherwise it seemed strong enough. "It contains a painkiller."

"No problem," Renji agreed, handing him the cloth and soap before disentangling himself from the pile of bodies the three of them had somehow managed to end up in.

He shed what was left of his uniform and tossed it in the hamper before drying off and wrapping one towel around his sodden hair and another around his waist so he wasn't walking around naked. He completely ignored the heart-wrenching sob that broke out almost immediately after he closed the bathroom door behind him. There were some things, he knew, one man didn't want another man to hear.

He leaned against the door for a moment with his eyes closed as the broken sobbing continued. Then, suddenly furious, he pushed off and stalked to the kitchen. His hands shook in anger as he set about getting water boiling and finding the correct tin of tea leaves.

Words failed him. That any creature could do such a thing to another, that any _ruler_ could treat a subordinate in such a way… Renji simply didn't understand what would prompt such a thing. He thought what he felt towards Aizen was the lowest form of loathing and hate a soul could muster, but he'd been terribly wrong about that. He spied a couple of bottles on the top shelf, kept well out of reach of curious children and pulled one down.

Renji forced the bile that lurked in the back of his throat down and poured a shot of sake to settle his nerves, then another. A third one beckoned, but he firmly put the bottle away before he could down the whole thing as he wanted to.

He'd been pretty pissed when Szayel had Claimed him, but the Seventh Espada had never put Renji through anything like what Aizen had just done to the scientist. In fact, now that he'd calmed down over the years and considered things, he realized that Szayel hadn't exactly enjoyed it overly much either. It had always been quick and clinical, often with Szayel muttering about finding another way to Claim him and going on about how he was lucky he made a half-decent specimen. There was also the deal the Espada had made with Ishida Uryuu, to keep he and Nemu alive, something he'd only learned of a little over five years ago.

Of course, the Szayel from before the 'long sleep' was infinitely different from the Szayel he'd encountered upon his restoration. They might as well not even be the same person, short of an unholy interest in all things scientific.

The water boiled, sending the kettle whistling and forcing Renji back to the task at hand. He set the tea to brewing and poured the rest of the water into a bowl with the cups to warm them. Digging through the fridge, he pulled out the hidden stash of fudge he knew Szayel kept from his children in a secret compartment in the back. Well, maybe from Vindula as Renji suspected Abisara would have easily found the hidden storage space and was unlikely to raid it, or at least, to gobble it all down in one setting.

He put the tray of tea, the warmed cups and the candy together before entering the living room. Nemu and Szayel were just exiting the bathroom and Renji could see the bandages tightly wrapped around Szayel's chest through the thick, fluffy, pink bathrobe he'd thrown on.

"You must think me pathetic," Szayel muttered brokenly as Nemu forced him to sit down on his usual place on the end of the couch.

"No," Renji assured him. "What I am thinking right now is how sick of a fuck Aizen is," he growled, finally allowing his anger to show. "I thought Karin and Grimmjow were supposed to administer any punishments."

"They are not here," Szayel pointed out, his expression bleak.

"Oh right." He'd forgotten that Aizen had sent them out the previous morning. "I thought Aizen wanted to wait a while before sending Karin further a field!"

"I suspect that he wanted them out of the way." Szayel spat hatefully. Now Renji felt his jaw drop a little

"You mean to tell me that Aizen deliberately sent them out early just so he could…" Renji forced himself to stop before he could say it.

"Torture and rape me," Szayel finished for him, his shoulders slumped and his golden eyes dull. "Yes. That is exactly what I suspect happened. Yammy pissed him off and torture always turns Aizen on. You would have to have strange tastes to want to willingly fornicate with that pig-headed lump and since Gin is sick with pneumonia, he made up some excuse to summon me…" Szayel trailed off, his body beginning to shake once more and tears threatening the corner of his eyes. "I had forgotten how much this hurts," he whimpered, trying to adjust his body into a more comfortable position.

Nemu poured him a cup of tea and Szayel accepted it with trembling hands.

Once again, Renji had no idea what to say. He felt helpless and feeling helpless made him uncomfortable. He could not believe that Aizen had stooped so low as to change plans regarding the defence of the city just so he could get a little tail. The only tiny bit of consolation he could get out of the whole fucked up affair was that Yammy had been decisively punished for hurting Byakuya so badly.

Szayel's shakes came and went and he suffered at least two panic attacks. Nemu simply held him, whispering small, soft endearments to him as she gently rocked him and Renji began to feel like an intruder. Then he looked down and realized he was still half-naked. He latched onto that, as it was the one thing he could do something about at the moment.

"I am going to get a change of clothes. If you give me that card thing, I'll take Abisara and Vindula out for dinner," he offered.

"That would be appreciated," Nemu replied, her green eyes full of gratitude.

She untangled herself from Szayel and dug up the card. Renji drained the last of his tea and accepted it. He locked the door on his way out and made his way back to his own room, startling a few of the staff members as he passed them, barefoot and clad only in terry cloth.

Renji didn't have the time to indulge in what he wanted to do, which was to open himself up to the Claim that surrounded him and spend the afternoon taking comfort in Nel's reiatsu. Since he wasn't sure what she could feel on her end, given the distance, he settled on a minute or two, sitting on the edge of the bed, to send as much reassurance and as much love to his mate as he could, to let her know that whatever she might have picked up in the short time he'd been in Aizen's little chamber of horrors had only been temporary and that he remained in one piece. Then, reluctantly, he got to his feet.

He pulled on one of the spare uniforms he kept in his closet, found his spare sandals and retrieved Abisara first. The boy was the closest one and, Renji grudgingly admitted, far better at sensing reiatsu and finding his twin than Renji. It took a bit of prying, but Renji pulled the young boy away from his circuitry project and sic'd him on Vindula's scent. The promise of taiyaki acted as the perfect incentive.

They found her hanging out with Lilinette and Ajuga in one of the many larger parks in the 1st District. Apparently, they were teaching Vindula how to hunt deer as the population in this particular park was getting too large and too many trees were dying as the deer stripped off their layers of bark and ate them. The things were a good choice of prey for the young girl. He hadn't exactly figured Vindula for a hunter. Nevertheless, whatever the older girls seemed to be into, Vindula wanted to try, even if she didn't actually seem that into the idea of killing a deer. At least she wasn't alone and a sitting duck for an unruly Numeros or an Espada with an eye for the naturally-born. Last year's ruckus over her had left an impression on both children, but Vindula's exuberance often won out over prudence. He hated it when the girl eluded him and he swore he was going to wake up with grey streaks in his long red mane from worrying over her.

They immediately forgave him for interrupting their hunting lesson when he informed them he was taking them all out for dinner. An argument briefly ensued as they discussed food options before they settled on a favourite place that served its patrons raw food on platters that they could cook on a grill in the center of the table. Considering what he knew of Ajuga's food preferences, barbecue seemed like a good compromise.

"Renji, is everything alright?" Ajuga asked him in a low voice as Lilinette skipped ahead with the twins, playing an impromptu game of tag that made Renji think of another small girl he'd once known and her two brothers, chasing one another through endless hills of white sand. He turned to stare down at the young hybrid, shaking his head to rid him of the image.

"Hmm, what makes you think something's wrong?"

"You have Szay's card and," her voice lowered further so he had to strain to hear her, "you smell like Szay's blood and it also smells like you just took a shower. Plus, you're a rotten liar."

He didn't dare answer verbally, so he gave a very small nod of his head. Ajuga frowned, but she was smart enough to remember the twins were within earshot, so she didn't press for more information. Renji was glad because, in his mind, _she_ was too young to be dealing with this shit, Arrancar child or not, nearly-grown or not.

Dinner went better than he expected. Ajuga let nothing slip that something was up and Abisara even unwound a little, finally acting like the little boy he really was. With some effort, Renji managed to place the horrifying event that had led to this pleasant evening into a corner of his mind that he told himself he'd deal with later, when he had more time and fewer responsibilities. After dinner, they even went to one of the parks with a playground.

He sat on the bench and watched, satisfied as the twins played in a carefree manner. Even Ajuga participated and the first small game of tag Lilinette started on the way to the restaurant quickly escalated as they raced around, under and over the playground equipment. Vindula was the one who ran up to him and grabbed his hand, tugging insistently and demanding he come play too. He resisted only as long as it took her to turn watery big eyes his way. He let out a mock sigh of defeat and rose from the bench to join in the game. She let out a squeal of delight and raced back to the rest of the fray. Briefly, her feet left the ground as she skipped and the next time it happened, he wings kept her airborne for a few more seconds. Renji stopped for a moment to stare.

Another milestone promptly slapped him in the face, even as he suddenly understood he was going to have to deal with this new, aerial aspect of his small, female charge. Renji prayed, as he watched Vindula flutter back to the game that the shocks were done for the day.

The sun was just starting to set when he ushered all of them back towards home, pausing only to grab some taiyaki for them as a treat and to pay Abisara back for locating his twin.

Ajuga and Lilinette peeled off as they passed the tree-lined street that would take them back to Jushiro's Estate. Ajuga paused and shared a sad look with him before continuing on. He hoped that Nemu had been able to tend properly to Szayel and that Szayel had a chance to recover, or at least, recover enough that he would be able to put on a false front for his children.

There was something nagging at the back of his mind and unfortunately, it wasn't until the children had been settled into bed and he'd returned to his own room that it hit him. Renji had to sift back through the nauseating details, but he thought he'd heard Aizen say something that he hoped he'd heard wrong. When the bastard's precise words came back to him in a rush, he was on his feet, stalking purposefully towards the Division's Library, to search yet again for any book that he thought might tell him how to open the portal Nel used to enter the small, Kido-created room where she refreshed his Claim every ten months. He'd been at this for the last five years but now…

"_Excellent. I will see you and your son tomorrow afternoon then. I can__'__t wait to see what kind of projects Abisara has been working on.__"_

Today he'd seen the result of Aizen's tender 'attentions' towards Szayel. Renji would be boiled in oil, flayed alive and tossed through the Hell Gate naked before he would allow Aizen to show the same kind of 'attention' towards Abisara. Szayel had been punished for something and that little bit the snake-in-Kami's-clothing mentioned before leaving told Renji that whatever it was involved his son. If Szayel's paternal instincts were telling him to keep Aizen away from the boy at all costs, Renji wasn't going to argue.

The redhead's pace down the hallway picked up. He'd been over and over the Library, looking for any information on higher levels of Kido, and barriers in particular… anything to figure out how to crack the one last obstacle in his path. However, Kido wasn't his strongest suit and he couldn't risk asking anyone for help. Worst of all, what Renji feared most was that he might be rapidly running out of time.

* * *

It has not been a good last little while. I have been very sick and my laptop died, trapping all of my work on it until I could get a new one and manage to get the equipment needed to both rescue everything off of my hard drive and get a writing program to open my files. I have had no motivation to write in a very long time /sob.

Next Chapter: Karin, Grimmjow and Starrk go camping and bug hunting. If I recall correctly, Karin flips out on Aizen at the end when they get back to the city.

This Weeks Question: How's the weather at your home been? Here we have birds chirping, sun shinning, and flowers blooming.


	12. Scarab

Scarab

Karin took a deep breath before exhaling slowly. Two weeks of nonstop searching and she had been unable to catch a glimpse of the portals. She had caught sight of the Swarm coming her way thanks to their sheer numbers. Ten thousand tiny lights clustered together were much easier to spot than the same number spread out. They determined that the portals were opening far out of range of her sight. That was the rationale behind this mission, one she could not refuse as Aizen had been the one to assign it, although she did wonder why he had sent them out sooner than expected.

As planned, they were two day's travel out of Seireitei, and by two days that meant two days as an Espada could travel using Sonido. She had tried to keep up but her Shunpo was simply not that fast, being average at best. In the end, Grimmjow carried her, although she swore he only did it so he had the excuse to grope her while on the move.

Aizen's quartermaster had supplied them with a single tent, three bedrolls, food and water. That was apparently all they were going to need. Wood was easy to find out here and fire was a simple Kido spell away. Food wasn't all that hard to find either and after their first meal of semi-spoiled field rations, Grimmjow tossed the whole lot out and hunted up some wild meat instead. Karin didn't find the rations that bad, but she had to admit that fresh meat was far better.

One nice thing about having just one tent was that it meant her mate had to behave at night. Their shared quarters were too cramped for shenanigans. Even his libido was banked since they could barely move without nudging into Starrk. The small tent was annoying space-wise, but convenient from the point of retaining body heat. It was winter and this far north, they encountered patches of snow on the ground and their breath hung frozen in the air when they spoke. The small space meant that the tent warmed up quickly and stayed that way. Grimmjow may have grumbled about it a bit, but Karin, quite frankly, preferred to be in the middle where she could huddle between the two men and surround herself with their warmth. Thus, she told her mate to stuff it. It wasn't like Starrk was going to try something with her even if they had been alone.

Now here she sat, meditating on a rock and soaking up what heat she could from the weak, winter sun while trying to find any hint of Swarm activity. Grimmjow was off somewhere to her left, moving slowly when he moved at all so she guessed he was hunting and had a potential meal in sight. This mission was testing her mate's patience as there was nothing for him to do but guard her until they managed to subdue one of the Scarabs. Then he would have to help Starrk carry it back.

Starrk, for his part, was content to doze a few feet away from her and wait for the signal that she had spotted a target, at which point he would go after it. They weren't entirely sure if he would carry her or not as it all depended on how well she could inform him of the location. Unlike her, he could not track the Swarm's reiatsu, it was simply too small and blended too well into the surrounding natural energy of the forest. It would be like trying to find the one common goldfish in a school full of koi. A very hard thing to do when they all kept moving.

Her world started to both fade and come into focus. She cast her vision forward and tried to ignore the sun that was sitting right beside her and the moon that was slowly stalking to her side. Unfortunately, she couldn't wear the shades Szayel had crafted for her to tone down the more powerful reiatsu of people like Starrk because they completely negated what little reiatsu the Swarm had. She was on her fifth pair now as Szayel kept finding way of improving them. The current incarnation had a pink lens, purple and white frames and she couldn't help but to smile when he had presented them to her.

Evening was fast approaching when an uneasy feeling came over her. It was faint, but there was definitely something wrong, she just couldn't put her finger on it. A second later, she saw it, a maelstrom of reiatsu that she had only seen once before.

"Starrk!" she called, jumping to her feet and turning to face the portal.

Starrk was instantly awake and before she knew it, they were moving with her cradled in his arms. They didn't stay that way for long as she shifted to his back so his hands were free and she could leap off of him quickly if need be. It could not be easy fighting with someone latched onto your back.

She didn't dare speak for fear the Swarm would pick it up, although, at the speed they were traveling words would have been lost on the wind anyway. Instead, she directed him by pointing where she saw the portal opening. They were coming at it at a bit of an angle, which was good. If they tried to come at it head-on, they would have run straight into the Swarm's invasion force. She could hear the buzzing sound of the Locusts' wings as they got closer and tapped Starrk's shoulder to get him to slow down when she saw they were near.

She slid from his back and the two of them approached their target stealthily. Since the Swarm had no reason to suspect that there were scouts this far out, and since most of them could fly, not a single one of them checked the undergrowth for intruders. The coniferous forest had a thick canopy and the only reason they even knew the Swarm was so close was because Karin could see the faintly glimmering stream of reiatsu and because they could hear them. This didn't mean they strolled leisurely through the forest; all it would take was one Locust spotting them through a break in the treetops to make their lives miserable and this mission would have to be scrapped. Karin didn't fear that they would kill her. One taste of her blood would let them know who and what she was. No, she feared what they would do to her should they capture her.

While she doubted the Swarm could directly hurt either Starrk or Grimmjow as their Hierro was very strong, the sheer numbers would eventually weigh them down and tire them out. So far, no one had been safe from the acid of the giant beetles and if it could eat through a good chunk of Ulquiorra, even with his high speed regeneration matched by none of the other Espada, than it could eat through both Starrk and Grimmjow's natural protections. The mental image was not a pretty one and she forced the fear away to focus on what she had to do to remaining undetected.

They finally reached a clearing and both of them fell to their bellies. In front of them six Scarabs stood in three sets of two, wings touching and portals gleaming between them. Recalling Ulquiorra's report about how disrupting the portal had caused them to explode, and needing their prey alive, Starrk and Karin waited. Two portals had Locusts coming through while the last one seemed to be a gateway for the giant beetles. Karin tried to get a glimpse of the other side, but the portals remained nothing more than shimmering colors.

If she hadn't had her sight, she might have jumped when she felt Grimmjow place his hand on her shoulder for she hadn't heard him approach. Starrk must have sensed his arrival for he hardly seemed surprised either.

"_Must have felt my excitement and guessed what was going on,__"_ she mused.

After half an hour, the portals began to waver. A moment later they ceased spewing forth the latest wave of the Swarm and the Scarabs slowly mantled their shimmering wings. The last Locust and the beetles didn't even look back and after another two minutes, the sound of buzzing faded off into the distance.

The scarabs seemed exhausted and moved sluggishly as they turned about and retreated, although it seemed more like a waddle. Now was their chance. Arrancar were predators, through and through, thus there was no need for Starrk and Grimmjow to communicate to each other which one they planned on capturing. Instinctively, they determined which one seemed weakest and, thus, would be the easiest to subdue.

They struck so quickly that three of the Scarabs were dead before the other three even realized they were under attack. Karin didn't know if the Scarabs had much in the way of combat strength, but it was clear they were exhausted and the fight ended quickly. Starrk and Grimmjow wrapped up the last one left alive in the thin cable that Szayel had provided for this purpose. It looked fragile but it was surprisingly strong and Karin briefly wondered what in the hell it was made from.

The Scarab they had subdued kicked up quite the racket and seemed to be speaking, but Karin didn't recognize or understand any of it. That indicated that it was at least semi-intelligent, which made sense given the skill it required to create and maintain a portal.

"Knock it off, before I turn you into worm food," Grimmjow snarled at the large thing.

His threat went unheeded, either because the bug ignored him or because the creature couldn't understand him. The Scarab did cease its struggles immediately when she walked out from under the cover of her hiding spot. There was no doubt that it recognized her. Karin suddenly hoped that Szayel was right about their 'hive-mind communication' having limited range because if it didn't, the invasion force they had just seen cross over might just be heading back their way. There was definitely no doubt about the creatures' intelligence now. The regular Locusts never showed any signs of recognition during a battle unless they got a taste of her blood, but this creature clearly knew her. It added weight to Szayel's theory about some sort of telepathic link because she doubted a simple description would have worked. A mental image shared amongst the members of an invading team… now that made more sense.

It started speaking again, this time one word, or at least Karin thought it was a single word. It could have been a dozen for all she knew. The sound was repeated over and over and the creature seemed excited. Karin was suddenly very glad that the Scarab didn't speak their language. She really wanted to say she trusted Starrk, but she still wasn't sure what he would do with the knowledge of her heritage. If the stability of the realms went too far off-balance, he just might betray her secret to Aizen. She wasn't going to count on her 'shit-storm level' matching his. She knew that she would give herself up if things really started going down the tubes, as she truly didn't want to see the Realms unravel. However, until such a thing came to pass she was not going to stick her neck out for Aizen to cut off her head by sitting on the throne, nor would she spread her legs so he could attempt to breed that heir he wanted.

Besides, if Royal blood ran through her family's veins, why couldn't they convince Ichigo to do it? He was far stronger than she was and, according to Grimmjow, on the very rare occasion her brother came up in conversations, easily as strong as Starrk if not stronger. If anyone stood a chance of sitting on the throne and staying alive to hold it and bring things back into balance, it was Ichigo. So why wasn't the Swarm chasing after her older brother?

'_Unless they are and can__'__t corner him. Hell, they can__'__t even corner me,__'_she thought. '_Maybe he doesn__'__t know about the whole Realm destabilization thing. No, that can__'__t be right. Yoruichi mentioned it and I know she__'__s with him. He probably said no for the same reason I did.__'_

The only way for Aizen to break back into the Royal Palace, should a true heir decide they wanted to claim the throne, would be to massacre the innocent inhabitants of another city like Karakura. No one in her family would bring about such a thing unless there was absolutely no other choice.

Karin turned her attention back to the excitedly chittering Scarab. It seemed almost beside itself with unmitigated excitement and tried to squirm closer to her.

"Something this big is going to take a lot of work to get back," she sighed.

"I ain't carrying it," Grimmjow snorted.

The three of them stared at the creature as it continued to makes its strange noises and struggle.

"I have an idea," Starrk said out loud and the other two leaned in to listen.

(TIME)

"This is the stupidest thing I have participated in," Karin complained, although most of her words were lost to the wind.

Once more she was hanging off of someone's back, right now that someone being Grimmjow. Behind them, the Scarab flew after them with Starrk riding its back like some kind of driver. They had adjusted the cables to make a sort of harness and had rigged it so that a tight pull would tug all of their prisoners' legs and wings in, effectively immobilizing it.

The creature almost seemed to have a childlike eagerness as it chased after her, still chattering and clicking away.

"The bait ain't got room to complain. You are not even running on your own" Grimmjow taunted.

"Someone is going to be sleeping on the patio for the next month if they refer to me as 'bait' again," Karin growled dangerously. "Or should I have Szayel remove your smaller sword," she threatened.

"Hay Starrk, I think it's your turn, the bait's getting testy," Grimmjow called up.

"You still got plenty of energy," Starrk replied sleepily.

"Do I look like bait?" she demanded as she slapped him over the back of the head.

"Yes, but this time it didn't take five years for the prey to bite" he smirked back at her over his shoulder.

She stared at him confused for a moment before the old memory came back to her of a young girl staring challengingly up at a much taller man looking down upon her. She'd been afraid, terrified really, but she'd forced her back straight and looked him dead in the eye. He'd laughed at her challenge and had ushered her and her sister out without harming a hair on either of their heads. For the longest time it had been an exasperating, and sometimes even painful memory, but now she couldn't help but to smile fondly at it. The first time she had met her mate.

They continued to travel like this all the way back to the city. Karin would run on her own for a few hours and be carried by either Grimmjow or Starrk the rest of the way. Whichever Espada was resting would ride the Scarab while she would catch catnaps while being carried. They were moving fast and as such, they had veered west for a while just to make sure they didn't accidentally come up behind the army ahead of them. With an intelligent member of the Swarm traveling with them, they didn't dare risk it sending a message about their location. It would not be a good thing for an entire army to know she was here.

It took them almost five days to get back. Their prisoner, although by the end of the second day they were starting to think of it more as a pet, kept up a steady pace the entire way. Starrk and Grimmjow seemed more or less fine, but Karin was starting to suffer from sleep deprivation. The catnaps were simply not enough to keep her energy up. Since Grimmjow had tossed all the rations away the first day out, all she had managed to get down were a few cupped handfuls of water from the canteen. It had also been almost two weeks since her last bath. She was dirty, she was starving, she was tired, she was cranky and in a bad mood. It was a great relief to see the city come up before them and to not see the flashes of battle. Karin guessed the Swarm had probably arrived yesterday afternoon and had been subsequently put down by the defenders.

"Do you think you can run on your own for a bit while I go off ahead to warn them we are coming?" Starrk questioned.

"Yeah, I should be fine for maybe half an hour," she answered unhappily.

Starrk put on a small burst of speed to bring them further ahead so she would have time to get off of his back and find her footing in the air before the Scarab caught up. They had been running in the air to avoid having to deal with the varied terrain below, but once they hit the white wall surrounding the central part of the city they would no longer be able to take that kind of shortcut.

Karin found her balance and she kept going while Starrk disappeared. It was almost as if he had teleported away instead of using Sonido. He returned after about ten minutes, just as she was hitting the outer edge of the city's suburbs.

Shinigami and several Arrancar joined them and an escort formed. Starrk replaced Grimmjow on the Scarab and she found herself once more riding her Mate's back. The gate was open when they arrived at the wall and they led the Scarab through it. Once on the other side Starrk pulled on the reins tethered to the wings, forcing them closed and the Scarab to walk. Karin swore that most of the Shinigami and Arrancar were lined up between the gate and the Science and Research building. Cheers arose from quite a few of them and several Arrancar grabbed hold of the cables as Starrk tossed the reigns to them.

Szayel met them at the main entranceway to the compound, a look of excitement covering his face, but Karin, even in her exhausted state, noted that she wasn't getting _that_ much excitement from the Claim. Oh, he was excited, but she should have been practically bouncing in glee at the presentation of a live specimen. Instead, he was standing almost stiffly and she caught sight of what looked like bandages wrapped around his chest when the wind moved the fabric a certain way.

Grimmjow set her down and took over one of the guiding ropes. Karin walked up to Szayel a frown on her features as she approached him.

"Karin-sama," he greeted her pleasantly, most of his attention still on the Scarab.

"First, food. I haven't had anything to eat in damn near a week."

One of Szayel's subordinates standing nearby quickly ran off, presumably to get her something to eat. She watched as Renji, and then Nemu, took a cable and Starrk finally jumped down holding a cable of his own. The Scarab was still trying to get to her, but its progress was now halted with the powerful people holding the controlling leads.

"Bring it around to the back elevator," Szayel called out.

"Which is where?" Karin questioned before adding far more quietly, "…the damn thing is following me!"

Szayel looked at her and Karin saw understanding dawning in his eyes. This was one moment that she was glad for his intelligence for there was no need to elaborate. He spun on his heal and led her on a wide route around the glass dome to a warehouse in the back. The doors swung open to reveal what, at first, appeared to be an empty building, but afterwards proved to be the housing for a giant elevator.

Sensing the sensitivity of the situation, Szayel dismissed the others until only Starrk, Grimmjow, Nemu and Renji were left to keep the thing under control. Through the whole process, it chittered excitedly, but wasn't straining as much as the elevator descended and Karin was forced to stand only a few feet away.

"What peculiar behaviour," Szayel noted curiously. "How long has it been acting like this?"

"Since it first caught sight of me," Karin answered. "…and speaking of peculiar behaviour…" The young woman reached over and pulled the material of his jacket away from his back. Szayel flinched, but didn't try to pull away from her.

"What happened?" she demanded.

"Aizen was feeling nostalgic while you were away," Szayel answered, his voice cracking only slightly at the end.

"Did that fucker touch you again?" Grimmjow demanded in a growl before Karin could say anything.

Szayel nodded his head before explaining his theory about their sudden send off, his voice only wavering a few times in the telling. Karin hadn't known about Byakuya and her rage at Yammy was hardly dampened by learning that Aizen had finally punished the brute for his malicious attack. She felt sick to her stomach to learn their entire mission had merely been so Aizen could have an excuse to play with one of his favourite toys for a few days.

"At least the mission was a success," Szayel commented wearily as the elevator finally came to a halt.

"Yeah," she agreed, with no enthusiasm whatsoever in her voice.

She was just too damn tired and hungry to let things affect her right now. Later, she could rampage all she wanted, but right now all she wanted was food, a shower, and bed. They manoeuvred the creature into a large holding chamber before Karin exited first. The large insect seemed upset over her absence, but it didn't go insane or try to throw itself against the walls. The four handlers untangled to cables and the Scarab gave itself a good shake and started fastidiously grooming itself with its legs. It made no attempt to attack the four retreating figures as they left through a human-sized door.

Food arrived and Karin all but devoured the plate. She had to force herself to eat slowly and not too much, lest she pay for it later with a stomach ache. While she doubted she had been starved long enough that eating a full meal would have any effect on her health, she wasn't going to chance getting sick. Oh yes, she and her Mate were going to have words about tossing the rations aside after she finally had that shower and nap.

"You've done an excellent job I knew you would be successful."

Karin's temper snapped before she even had a chance to register that Aizen had joined them. Sleep deprivation, starvation and exhaustion had demolished the control she normally had over her emotions and verbal filters.

"Fuck that!" she spat. "How dare you harm my property!"

Aizen actually looked surprised while shock and horror covered the faces of the other five present. She was always cautious around Aizen, she had to be. The fact she was openly snarling at someone who could kill her with a wave of his hand stunned the rest. What stunned them more was that she didn't stop.

"What the fuck could Szayel have possibly done while I was gone that would garner your personal interest, and don't give me some fucking little excuse, like he wasn't being respectful enough. You are damn lucky that the backwash down the Claim didn't hit while we were engaged in combat!"

"Karin," Starrk said firmly, gray eyes giving her a warning look.

She shot him a glare, but clamped her mouth shut before she gave too much away, like the fact that she was the one holding Szayel's Claim, not Grimmjow.

"That was rather disrespectful of you," Aizen frowned down at her.

Several sharp retorts rose to her mind, but for once it was Grimmjow silencing her. He didn't do it via a sharp elbow or a stomp on the foot though. Instead, he pulled her into his grasp.

"She's tired and hungry, and that's my fault," Grimmjow spoke up. "Those rations sucked, so I tossed them and decided to hunt instead. Should have realized we wouldn't have time to hunt hauling this thing back," he indicated the Scarab that was apparently finally resting.

"It has been six days since we captured it and we haven't stopped once since then," Starrk added.

"Plus, you know how possessive Karin is over her property," Grimmjow added with a smirk Szayel's way, vainly trying to lighten the suddenly dark atmosphere.

"Humph," Szayel sniffed, turning away.

"Indeed. So you attribute the loss of her control to hunger, a state you confess to being responsible for?" Aizen questioned with a glint in his eye.

"Yes," Grimmjow answered, clamping his hand over her mouth before she could protest.

Karin squirmed in his grasp, fear rushing through her. Aizen hadn't punished either of them directly yet, at least not since she'd started her relationship with him, but she had a feeling that lucky streak was about to end.

"Grimmjow, I thought you had learned your lesson when Tousen removed your arm. Must we do such a thing again?" Aizen sighed.

Karin went completely rigid and she could feel her mate do the same. She had never heard about that incident and the thought that Aizen could do something like that sickened her, although it shouldn't have surprised her. He did try to blind Jushiro, what was a missing limb or two?

"Even if he hadn't tossed the rations, there would not have been time to eat," Starrk spoke up, surprisingly coming to their defence. "The damn thing didn't stop struggling the whole way," he grumbled irritably.

"One can eat on the move," Aizen waved the poor defence aside.

Karin was getting very tired of the hand covering her mouth, the fact it reeked like cable and dirt didn't help any.

"You have been getting far too disrespectful lately Grimmjow. Perhaps you are long overdue for a lesson in manners."

Karin started to squirm against him again, terror rushing through her. She had seen the kind of violence Aizen dished out. She'd had to put Szayel back together enough times to have a basic understanding of Aizen's ability to be cruel and creative. Would Aizen go so far as to rape her mate as well? She desperately hoped not.

"You are all tired, and you have done a good job. You are dismissed for now." Aizen waved them away.

Karin felt relief flood through her, both because Aizen seemed to have forgiven her outburst and because Grimmjow finally removed his hand from her mouth. They were almost completely out the door when Aizen spoke again.

"Grimmjow, do come see me tomorrow morning. I would like to speak to you about a few things."

"Yeah, sure," he grunted before forcing her to keep walking before she could protest and possible get one, or both, of them into deeper shit.

Once they were outside, he picked her up and burst into Sonido, getting them back to the Estate quickly. The world stopped spinning once they'd reached their bathroom and she simply stood there in stunned horror while he got the shower running and undressed them both.

"What have I done?" she demanded in a horrified whisper.

"Nothing," he grunted, picking her up by the hips and depositing her under the hot water.

"Don't give me that!" she sobbed. "What if he does something to you, like what he does to Szayel?" she demanded. "Or to me? Or to both of us?"

"Then he does it," he answered casually.

"All of this is my fault," she cried, tears welling up in her eyes.

Grimmjow grabbed her by the shoulders, spun her around, moved one hand up to grasp her chin and raised her face so they were looking eye to eye.

"This. Is. Not. _Your_. Fault."

He articulated each word. "If I hadn't tossed that food away you would not be hungry and exhausted from energy depletion and would not have snapped like that. I have been stepping on Aizen's toes since long before I even met your brother, let alone you. If you hadn't been there over the years keeping me in line I would have been under his whip a lot sooner than this."

He released her chin and pulled her flush against him, pulling her head to rest on his shoulder while the water continued to run down their bodies.

"Regardless of what he may or may not do to me tomorrow, at least it will be done to me, and not you," he whispered softly. "He'll probably just give me a stern lashing like he usually did before I met you and had a reason to behave."

She sobbed against his chest, cursing herself for being so pathetic but unable to stop it. They stood like that for some time before Grimmjow gently pushed her away enough that he could reach the sponge and give them both a quick wipe down before turning the shower off.

He even dried them both off before carrying her to their bedroom and setting her into bed. Than he simply held her until the exhaustion and emotional trauma finally pulled her into a troubled slumber.

(POV)

Ajuga poked her nose in around dinner time. Father and daughter shared a brief, whispered conversation over what Ajuga had been up to while they were gone so as to avoid waking Karin up. Grimmjow was pleased that Karin, despite her obvious troubled sleep, at least slept right through until the sun was rising in the morning.

He really didn't want to slip out on her, but she needed her rest and it would be much better if she slept through any potential back lashes from their Mating Claim. He got dressed and left with all the stealth a trained predator like him had at his disposal. He was good, but Starrk still met him by the gate. They didn't exchange words. If the shit hit the fan, Starrk would keep an eye on his family. That was more than Grimmjow could have ever asked for from a fellow Hollow.

It was a bright sunny morning as he walked lazily towards Aizen's Palace. He did his best to keep his emotions numb, telling himself that this was no different from the dozens of other times he'd gotten his hands slapped when Aizen got annoyed with his disrespectful behaviour. Although, now that he thought about, he hadn't gotten his hands slapped since taken it up with Karin. She was good at keeping him out of trouble.

"_Damn girl__'__s made a lap cat out of me,__"_he grumbled to himself fondly.

The guards at the gates didn't even spare him a glance, but there was someone waiting for him on the inside. He was not escorted to the basement as he'd been expecting, nor was he led to Aizen's throne room either. Instead, he was led into a dining room where Aizen was apparently eating breakfast with his wife. Judging by the amount of food on their plates, they had just sat down. She seemed surprised to see him so he had a feeling that he wasn't expected, at least not this early in the morning anyway.

"Ah Grimmjow, please, sit down," Aizen indicated the empty chair to his left.

Hands in his pocket, he plunked down in the chair in as casual a manner as possible. He still had his pride and there was no way he was letting Aizen know just how unsettled he was. He had a reputation to maintain.

"I wasn't expecting you this early. Would you like something to eat?" Aizen questioned pleasantly.

"Sure," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Might as well enjoy what could be his last meal, although he doubted Aizen would kill him. He suspected that Aizen truly hadn't been expected him to be here this early to face his admonishment. If he had been expected then there would have been a place set for him at the table already. That was just how Aizen was. Servants brought out utensils, a cup of tea, and a plate full of food. He picked up the fork and began to eat, shovelling the food into his mouth.

"I trust you managed to feed your pet and get her to sleep?" Aizen questioned.

"Yeah," he answered between mouthfuls of food. He took a deep breath and ground out the words he had thought he would sooner die than utter to the bastard sitting beside him. "I apologize for her behaviour, Kami-sama. I should have kept her under better control in your presence and should have seen to her health well-being sooner." He almost choked over the words, but he managed to get them out without it sounding too forced.

Aizen raise an eyebrow at him and set down his cup of tea.

"My, my, is that a real apology from you, without me needing to pull it from your teeth? Your pet has worked marvellous changes on your temperament, Grimmjow. I never thought the day would come that I would see humility from you."

"Che," he scoffed, taking another huge bite of food and doing what little he could to retain what was left of his bad-ass image.

Aizen turned his attention back to his wife and Grimmjow tuned the conversation out as they finished breakfast. Servants cleared the table while Aizen bid his wife a good day before she left for work. Aizen stood shortly after she left and sent him a smile.

He did his level best to keep the bored attitude, at least outwardly. He even leaned back on his chair, balancing on two legs and rocking back and forth slightly. He didn't know how well he was hiding his apprehension, which had skyrocketed once Unohana left. He was positive Aizen had never tortured anyone in front of his wife, but now that she was gone, it was open season.

"While we are sitting here, you might as well report on how the mission went," Aizen picked up his refilled tea cup and looked at him expectantly.

Shrugging, he filed Aizen in on everything that had happened, including how they all spent six days of nonstop running to get back to the city with their cargo. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like Aizen was at least impressed with Karin's endurance. No human should have been able to keep going for six days at the pace Grimmjow and Starrk set, especially on nothing more than mouthfuls of water. Unlike a spiritual being, Karin could not get nutrition from the very air like every other person in Soul Society could, with the exception of Orihime and Tatsuki.

"Why did you simply not leave her to catch up?" Aizen questioned.

"The damn thing targeted her first and since it was fixated on getting to her, and because she doesn't have the strength to control the thing, we figured it would be more efficient to just keep its attention on her and dangle her as bait in front of it while Starrk and I directed its movements. It was Starrk's idea. We got back quicker because of it and didn't have to drag the thing every step of the way."

"It did, indeed, work," Aizen mused. "Still, I do not like chaos in my empire. You know how much disrespect annoys me."

He felt his body stiffen before forcing it to relax. He didn't want to wake Karin or cause her any unnecessary stress if he could avoid it. He would do anything to protect her and their daughter from Aizen's gaze. The grin Aizen sent him made him shiver, but when the expected order to follow him downstairs came he still rose to his feet, shoved his hands in his pockets, and followed after Aizen as lazily as he could, as if the fact he was going down to Aizen's playroom didn't frighten the living shit out of him. Whatever punishment Aizen decided to lay down, he would go into it with head held high and eyes wide open.

"_Hopefully, it won__'__t involve the removal of any of my limbs because that seriously sucked the last time.__"_

(POV)

Karin woke up when she heard the door clack open. It looked to be late afternoon and her bed was empty. She heard a familiar grunt, indicating it had been Grimmjow who had slammed the door open. She stretched and yawned before pulling herself out of bed. She was feeling a bit better now after her twenty hour long nap. Pulling a yukata on she walked out of the bedroom with a small smile, one that instantly disappeared when she saw the small trail of blood.

"Hey," he greeted her with a grunt.

It was a sad thing that her first thought was 'at least the damage isn't actually that bad' instead of 'how dare the fucker hurt her mate and is he okay?' She didn't ask what had happened, as it was pretty obvious.

"Lay down so I can take a look at those," she ordered firmly.

"They don't hurt that much," he shrugged.

"Amuse me," she said crisply.

With a sigh, he made his way to the porch and lay down on his chest, resting his head on crossed arms. Karin arrived shortly after, a large bowl that steamed in the cool, winter air and several wash clothes. He hissed when the first dab of diluted alcohol touched the deep laceration in his back. She counted twenty lashes, and they were rather deep, but other than that, he appeared to have no further injuries. It could have been so much worse. Others had suffered more for less. Pointedly, Szayel, whom Aizen liked to torture and rape for the sick fun of it.

"It should have been me," she whispered, berating herself. "I was the one who couldn't keep her mouth shut. I know better."

"Quiet!" he snapped. "Don't even go there."

"This was my fault," she pressed.

"Fuck it, it was mine. You wouldn't have snapped if you'd had food. Besides…" he paused for a moment, "I would be a pretty shitty mate if I let you or Ajuga come to harm."

"Yeah, well, right back at you," she smiled down at him. "Now hold still."

He let out a hiss as she dabbed once more at the lacerations in his back.

"Baby," she said warmly.

He let out a grunt of annoyance, but otherwise remained still as she tended to the wounds. His fast regeneration would take care of them quickly, but she still felt responsible for them and it made her feel slightly better to tend to them.

"I've received worse," he finally spoke up. "This is just supposed to be a reminder, a slap on the wrists."

She didn't comment, but she did recall that Jushiro had come home on occasion over the years with similar stripes on his back for speaking up during meetings. It disgusted her, but to Aizen and his Arrancar it was the equivalent of spanking an unruly child, and she'd given a good number of those over the years. Not all of them ended up on Ajuga's rear either and the memory of a pink-haired teenager squirming in her lap brought a chuckle to her.

"What's got you so amused?" Grimmjow demanded.

"Sorry, just thinking about spankings."

He looked at her strangely, blue eyes meeting hers over his shoulder.

"Women," he grunted, before given his head a shake and resting it on his hands once more.

"At least Aizen didn't ask me to publicly spank you," she pointed out, and for good measure brought her hand down sharply on his own rear, earning a surprised yelp out of him.

* * *

No time, got to run. Enjoy. Thanks for the reviews.


	13. Romp

Romp

Her toes curled in pleasure as the sandy-haired head continued to bob between her legs. Guilt certainly brought out an interesting side to her husband, but she wasn't going to complain. She never asked for this form of attention from him, but she sure as hell wouldn't say no when he offered it to her.

She could feel the edge looming before her. Her hands curled into his hair and she pulled gently, not wanting to go over that ledge just yet. She only managed to remove his tongue from her core because he let her.

A single sepia-coloured eye looked into desire-glazed ones. She swore that single eye glittered with mischief before dropping as Tesra began to level kisses along her inner thigh. He continued to shower her with kisses, slowly working his way up to her hip bones. He kissed his way along the edge of her pelvis until the bone began to curve away and disappear. He moved his lips up over her flat, toned stomach, pausing to dip his tongue into her belly button. She giggled as it tickled a bit and she could feel his lips smirk against her skin before they continued their journey up her body. From there they traveled along to one, small breast, kisses briefly turning into sucking as he assaulted her nipple. He paid the other one the same attention before gently kissing his way up to her throat, and finally her mouth. Their lips and tongues danced around each other and she felt him settle between her legs, his thick shaft already leaking precum and rubbing against her moist core.

Tatsuki shifted her leg and brought them up to wrap around his waist, pulling her to him and grinding against the hot, throbbing flesh pinned between their bellies. He let out a load moan as the resulting friction tormented him.

"I told you, I am perfectly fine," she growled into his mouth.

"I still hurt you," he murmured.

"It was an accident, but if you feel like you need to act like such a woman…" she twisted her powerful hips around and rolled them over so she pinned him to the futon now, "…then I will just have to wear the figurative pants," she smirked down at him.

He wasn't in any way a womanizer, nor did he think her weak simply because she had a pussy instead of a penis. There were simply no other terms she could think of to convey what she meant. Some things had just become a part of cultural reference, even if the meaning behind them had changed over time.

She didn't dwell on those thoughts long. Right now, the only thing that mattered was sending as much love and pleasure as she could through the Claim his way. She was flattered he was worried about her and that he was upset that he had inadvertently hurt her, but it was getting tedious now. The only way to get him over it was to prove to him that she was fine about the accident. Moreover, there was one way she knew how to show it to him.

She grasped his leaking length and shifted so the tip was at her entrance. She slowly lowered herself upon him, not because it was uncomfortable, but because it was torturous for him as her wet, tight, heat slowly enveloped him. He squirmed beneath her and his hands dug into her hips. She stopped when he was only halfway in, smirking down at him as he looked up at her with a hint of sexual desperation.

Chuckling, she finally finished taking him in and sighed as her inner walls stretched fully to accommodate his length. She shifted about, adjusting her legs and hips into a comfortable position. His hands gently massaged her hips and his eye gazed up at her with what she could only call adoration. Settled comfortably, she leaned down and caught his lips with her own. They shared a deep kiss before she pulled back. Resting her hands on his chest for balance, she started to lift her hips up until just his tip was still inside of her, before going back down, slowly.

His head tipped back and he let out a low moan of pleasure. She rubbed her hands over his nipples, tweaking them while she kept up a slow and steady pace as she moved her body up and down his shaft. When his eye slid close in bliss and he started to thrust up to meet her was when she struck.

She had never seen him without the eye patch on before. She had asked him if she could see before, but he always just got embarrassed and said maybe another time. Well so help her that 'other time' was going to be this time. She had it off before he even realized she'd moved. He froze beneath her; both eyes wide open with shock. She, on the other hand, kept moving and even gave him a squeeze with her inner muscles, which made him shiver.

With the hand that had removed the eye patch, she cupped the side of his face and smiled down at him. One of his eyes looked up at her apprehensively, while the other was a milky white.

"Fascinating," she murmured, brushing her thumb across his cheek. "I think I like the contrast," she mused. "You should take it off more often."

"You sure you are not just saying that to make me feel good?" he asked hesitantly.

"Seriously?"

She arched an eyebrow at him and stopped moving. "What are you sensing from me right now, oh Master of my Claim?" she demanded.

"Love," he answered immediately.

"So… no trepidation?"

"No."

"Discomfort?"

"No."

"Disgust?"

"No."

"So just love?"

"Maybe with a hit of exasperation now," he smiled shyly up at her.

"You deserve it for acting so silly."

She leaned down and gently kissed his eyelid as he closed it over his milky eye. "How did you lose it again?"

"Training exercise with Nnoitra-sama," he answered.

"And did you hate him for it?"

"No."

"Then what in heaven makes you think I would hate you over _this_ accident, hmm?"

"Insecurity," he admitted.

"Really, after ten years?"

Tesra blushed in embarrassment but nodded his head.

"Well then, I will just have to show you how much I love you," she purred down at him.

"I have no objections to that," he smiled up at her.

She responded to his smile with a far more predatory grin, and started to move once more while clenching her walls when she went down. He let out a soft curse as the pressure worked his arousal and his hips rose to meet her once more. They continued like this for a while, their bedroom filling with the sounds of soft moans and flesh meeting wetly.

She flung back her head for bit and shifted backwards to adjust the angle so the thick shaft buried inside her rubbed so sensationally along the very sensitive spot inside of her. Sweat quickly stared to cover her body and she increased the pace a bit. She was so wrapped up in sexual pleasure that she didn't notice the shifts in Tesra's muscles until she suddenly found herself being flipped over and pinned beneath him.

One eye may have been milky white, but there was no doubting the look of pure lust that he gave her. Hooking his arms around her legs, he lifted her up and started to thrust into her vigorously. Her body bounced beneath him but she didn't care. She dug her nails into his shoulders and let out loud cries of pleasure and he took the pace up to a notch as only an Arrancar could. He was moving so quickly in her that it almost felt like one, continuous rub.

Her peak rushed towards her and she went over it without even having a chance to grasp the edge. Her walls clamped down and pulsed as she came. Above her, Tesra shuddered and his own flesh, buried deep within her, throbbed as well, filling her with spurt after spurt of semen.

They remained entangled for some time afterwards, although he did release the grip on her legs, while they both panted desperately for breath. His skin glistened in the candlelight and she pulled his head down for another, soft kiss between pants. Tesra pulled out of her and she felt a rush of cum escape. The only downside to sex was how messy it could be and they were going to need to change the sheets before going to sleep.

In the back of her mind, the ghost of her old friend Chizuru tilted her head back and cackled with that insane laugh of hers, informing her that if the sex was messy, she was doing it right. Tatsuki banished the image with the same mental kick she'd once used to dispel the real girl as she'd draped her arms around Orihime.

Once they caught their breaths, they silently untangled their bodies and set about cleaning up. It was in no way an awkward silence, but rather a comfortable one they shared in exhaustion. She did hide his eye patch in her hakama pocket though and then played innocent when she noticed he was looking for it. He didn't look too long as she pulled him into the bathroom behind her so they could shower together.

That ended in another round of torrid sex with her pinned to the wall and him thrusting desperately into her. He came first this time, although she followed shortly after. She rested against his chest while he cupped and toyed with her breast. They stayed that way until the water started to get cold, simply basking in each other's presence.

The clock on the wall told Tatsuki that it was close to midnight when they finished making a new bed and curled up under clean sheets, her back pressed to his chest.

"Tatsuki."

"Hmm?"

"I've been thinking," he said hesitantly and even though he was behind her, she could read the apprehension in his voice.

"What is it?" she questioned, shifting onto her back so she could look at him.

"It's just… I know we wanted to wait, but it's been ten years with no sign of the attacks stopping…" he trailed off again, but she was now certain she knew what topic he seemed to want to discuss.

"You want kids of your own," she offered.

He nodded his head and swallowed nervously before pressing on.

"I know we wanted to wait for the war to end, for things to be more secure, but there is no telling if that will ever happen, or what will happen to you. Not that I think the Locusts could kill you, but… you are still human and we don't know if being here affected the aging process or even if you might age naturally."

He didn't bring up the subject of her humanity often. They had no idea how a human dying here would or could affect the rebirth cycle. No one knew what would happen to her, Orihime, or even Karin. Would they just pop out of their human bodies into soul bodies and stay here or would experiencing a death here result in them going back into the cycle to be reborn as humans once again? No one had a good answer. Tesra, on the other hand, being an Arrancar could live for centuries if something didn't kill him.

The real question though, of course, was did she want children and did she want them now? Ajuga and Hana seemed to be thriving, as was Diaemus. Even Vindula and Abisara were happy. Tesra did have a point. There seemed to be no end to this battle against the Swarm in sight and she wasn't getting any younger. If Karin and Orihime were able to raise their kids successfully, then there was no reason she and Tesra should not be able to as well.

There was also no telling in how long it would take to get pregnant. They had all read Szayel's report on how the difference in power levels affected the chances of a pregnancy occurring and Tesra was quite a bit stronger than she was.

'_However, the difference in our strength is no different than that seen between Orihime-chan and Ulquiorra,__'_she thought._'__In addition, I am definitely __'__stress-free__'__. I wonder what kind of child we would have. So far, Ajuga and Diaemus take after their father__'__s Resurreccións and I still haven__'__t seen Tesra__'__s release. Nevertheless, our child might not follow that path. Abisara didn__'__t. He looks just like Szayel does on a normal day, and Renji mentioned that Vindula looks nothing like Szayel__'__s Resurrección. However, their mother is a Shinigami and that may have had an effect.__'_

Tatsuki let out a long breath and snuggled against her mate.

'_Why am I worrying about looks so much? I know that shouldn__'__t matter. Am I ready for children and do I want them?_'

The first impulse she got was 'yes', followed by all the insecurities about whether or not she would be able to raise any child effectively or what would happen if she, or Tesra, or, Kami forbid, both of them were killed. What would Nnoitra think of the whole thing, if anything at all, and how would he respond to his fraccion producing offspring? Would the child be expected to serve him like Tesra did? What if the child was female? Nnoitra seemed indifferent towards Ajuga so she wasn't quite worried that any female child of hers would attract Nnoitra's eye as far as breeding purposes went. Any child they had would not be from a powerful lineage like Ajuga and if he wasn't interested in her, then it was unlikely he would be interested in their hypothetical daughter.

Still, she brought those questions up, and Tesra answered them the best he could. Some of her fears were alleviated. After all, he pointed out, Nnoitra didn't actively look for followers and it was Tesra's own decision to stick by Nnoitra's side, a kind of payback for rescuing him and keeping him safe while he was an orphaned cub. It was possible that if they both did somehow die that Nnoitra would take their child in. Oh he would bitch, cuss and moan about it, but he would do it, just like he'd let Tesra stumble after him over the years.

"Alright," she finally agreed. "I'll stop taking the pills and start taking the vitamins."

"Really?" he gasped, now excited.

"Really. Just don't expect me to be pregnant by the end of the month. It's going to take time for the hormones to filter out of my system and even non-cross-species mating takes time, as well as good timing. The window is a small one after all and not every egg is viable."

"I know," he declared, pulling her tightly against his chest again and nuzzling her neck contently. "Thank you, for agreeing to this. I wasn't sure how you were going to react since you seemed so certain that you didn't want children before."

"Yeah, well, that was ten years ago and a lot has happened and changed since then, such as how I honestly think I love you even more," she purred.

"The feeling is mutual," he assured her, given her a squeeze.

They remained spooned together and fell asleep in each other's arms.

(POV)

Yumichika wasn't able to stay for long at the 4th Division, but he did spend what time he could with them. She was able to stay most of the time. The only duties she had were to help out with the battles and to present herself in Barragan's throne room for a couple of hours in the evenings to prepare Yumichika to serve their master, and with Ggio sick, that left Yumichika to deal with Barragan's lust alone.

He was a good sport about it and had assured them both this wasn't the first time he'd had to do a bit of overtime, although the last time _had_ been over a century ago. He simple told Ggio to get some rest and recover and he'd find some way that the Arrancar could pay him back one day.

"How's our kitty cat feeling?" Yumichika asked as he walked into the ward, pulling Soi Fon away from her worries.

He was still the picture of elegance, but someone as trained as she was to notice things saw that he was walking stiffly and that his normal grace was absent when he sat down, very gingerly, in the empty chair.

'Recovering' she wrote out on the chalkboard. 'Unohana-Taichou says that the worst has passed and he should be able to come home tomorrow morning.'

"That's good," he smiled softly. "Remind me never to accept any favours from Szayel. He has an odd way of helping people out. I think I would sooner have a few lashes on my back that can be hidden than to be so hideous looking for a week," he shivered.

"You're the one who dressed me, what does that say for your taste?" Ggio spoke up, his voice raspy.

He had been sleeping until a minute ago. Yumichika's entrance had probably been what woke him up.

"Yes, well, I was _not_ the one that picked out that particular ensemble," Yumichika sniffed, pointing to the simple hospital gown Ggio was wore. "It does nothing for your complexion and it washes out your color. You have a very dismal appearance now, and let's not even get started on your hair and how desperately it needs to be washed."

"I could still sneeze on you," Ggio threatened. "I got a pound of snot just looking for a home and that robe seems as good a handkerchief as any."

Yumichika gave an exaggerated flinch and a look of pure disgust. Soi Fon couldn't help but smile and make something resembling a chuckling noise, shaking her head at their antics. The two men had bonded well over the last five years and over the hours they had spent plotting to get her interested in Ggio. She had to hand it to Yumichika, he knew what he was doing and she'd been hard-pressed to make them work for it.

She could still recall the first time Ggio had asked if he could lay with her. He'd been so shy and hesitant as he stumbled over his words, trying to make it clear to her that he wanted to have willing, private sex with her, not the forced Claim reinforcements that Barragan always oversaw. She had relented only because he was cute standing there in the getup Yumichika had stuffed him into. Soi Fon conceded that the former 5th Seat had done a great job at picking out clothing that made him look attractive. He'd done the rest of it on his own, however.

The experience been more than satisfying and she admitted that he was a very attentive lover, as well as enthusiastic. It had also been nice not having an audience and to feel him so loose and relaxed with her instead of how stiff he usually was when Barragan would watch.

She honestly wondered why Barragan was so upset with the upcoming child. If he had been so opposed to her getting pregnant, why had he forced Ggio to hold her Claim over the years without allowing her to use any kind of protection? When she had still been capable of talking she'd demanded her birth control pills and had explained what they were for. Barragan had been the one to deny them to her. At the time she hadn't protested too much; the thought of a Hollow being able to impregnate a Shinigami was absurd to her. Then Karin had gotten pregnant, and Orihime. Still, they were human, the common ancestor between their two races. What really frightened her was when Nemu became pregnant with twins. Soi Fon had redoubled her efforts to try to get her pills back at that point, but Barragan withheld them.

Because of the difference in her strength compared to Ggio's, he had to refresh the Claim regularly to keep her in control. There had been a time or two in the beginning where she had almost broken free because it had gotten so weak. After that Barragan had made sure the Claim was refreshed, at a minimum, every three months. It was a bit of overkill, five months would have probably been adequate. She had always figured the real reason was because Barragan enjoyed watching her suffer for daring to defy him.

"So, when are you going to let me do something about your wardrobe?" Yumichika asked her.

Soi Fon pulled her thoughts out of the past and back into the present with a frown.

'When His Majesty lets me wear something other than this,' she wrote out.

She had been wearing the same simple white yukata for years, only changing into a black, tight-fitting combat suit when a battle took place. It was sad, but the Swarm invasions had been one of the best things to happen to her. She'd actually been happy when the Defence Net had fallen as it meant that she had something to do again instead of just sitting in her dog kennel until being summoned. Fifteen years of being used as a sex toy was getting, very, very tedious. At least she wasn't alone. From the first day of their enslavement she'd had Yumichika, who did what he could to help her despite the fact they had barely even been acquaintances. Now she had Suzumebachi back and she had Ggio. She wasn't alone. Not like some of the others, like the man slowly recovering just down the hall. She had no idea how Byakuya had managed to keep his sanity after fifteen years of torture and violent rape. The things she had learned Yammy did to him on a regular basis were considerably worse than anything to which Barragan had subjugated them.

"_He would have done well in the old 2nd Division,__"_she couldn't help but to think.

Ggio and Yumichika were still bantering back and forth, although Ggio's voice had started to give out. She shook her head at the stubborn pride of men before stopping the chest beating by silently handing the nearly croaking Ggio a glass of water accompanied by a stern look that clearly said 'drink this or suffer my wrath.' He wisely piped down and drank the water.

"I thought I recognized that voice. It has been a while Yumi!"

They all turned to face the new comer at the door.

"Ajuga-chan, how wonderful to see you," Yumichika greeted her. "I see those walking lessons I gave you have really paid off," he nodded approvingly.

"They certainly helped, although I still feel more comfortable on all fours when it comes to stalking," Ajuga shrugged.

"What brings you by?" Yumichika asked.

"I was just on my way to check up on Bya-san," she answered. "Unohana-san said he woke up late last night when I asked about him this morning so I'd hoped he would be awake now. Mama and Papa got home yesterday afternoon but they were pretty exhausted. Mama was out like a light and even Papa looked pretty weary, but don't let him know I said so."

"I wouldn't dream of it. Are you familiar with my fellow ex-Shinigami Soi Fon, and our good friend, Ggio?" Yumichika introduced.

"Not really," she eyed the other two. "I've seen you guys around, and remember seeing you at the little parties Aizen likes to throw a couple times a year, but I tend to avoid going too near Barragan."

"I don't blame you," Ggio commented. "You are almost of age, and coming into your power nicely."

Ajuga smiled at the compliment, especially since it came from a fellow Arrancar.

"Yeah, Mama and I have started taking bets on how many males Papa is going to castrate and place in the 4th Division for looking at me in a way he doesn't like," she chuckled.

Ggio looked a bit pale and Soi Fon winced at the image, but Yumichika winked at her with one violet eye and gave her an appraising look with the other.

"I have no doubts there will be plenty of fallen corpses," the dark-haired man said, as if considering the body count, "But I wonder if your own tally of neutered Casanovas won't be higher than that of your father's."

"Better believe it," she grinned with a feral look on her face.

All four of them got a good snicker out of both estimate and Ajuga's confidence. She hadn't had much of a chance to meet Ajuga and admitted to herself that she liked the girl, despite her heritage. The child, no, the young woman definitely had potential. Even now, standing right in front of her, Soi Fon could not get a wisp of a reiatsu reading from her. If Ajuga hadn't been standing before her, she never would have known the hybrid was there. Such a talent would have been exceedingly useful to the Onmitsukido.

"Anyhow, I just wanted to pop in and say 'hi'."

"How is Kuchiki-san doing?" Yumichika asked before Ajuga could depart.

"He was pretty beaten up, but he'll recover. He would give us that disapproving glower of his if he thought we were worried about him. You know the one I am talking about, the one he used to get when I romped through his flower beds."

Oh yes, Soi Fon knew the look Ajuga was referring to, and judging by Yumichika's laugh, he found it amusing too. Ggio wasn't really familiar with what they were talking about and his expression seemed puzzled.

"Well, you better go check on him then. Thank you for stopping by, Ajuga-chan!" Yumichika winked at her.

"No problem," Ajuga replied and waved before continuing down the hall.

That was a curious meeting. Soi Fon hadn't known that the hybrid child was familiar, and apparently on friendly terms, with Kuchiki Byakuya. She was surprised the noble would have anything to do with her, especially one with Kurosaki blood running through her veins. It was common knowledge that Byakuya held Ichigo in high disdain. Then again, Ichigo was a brash, disrespectful young man, or he used to be. Soi Fon didn't know what he was like now that he had to be in his thirties. He was also clearly good friends with his younger sister Rukia and that definitely had to rub Byakuya the wrong way.

"Ah, you are all awake," Unohana smiled pleasantly as she walked into the room. "How are you feeling Ggio-san?"

"Better," he answered, his voice still hoarse.

"That is good to hear. If your vitals are stable this evening, then you'll be free to leave in the morning. Do try to take better care of yourself. Still, I wonder how you managed to catch such a dreadful virus?" she shook her head in wonder.

No one commented but all three thought of a pink-haired boy who had seemingly tripped while carrying a loaded test tube. It had been an uncomfortable, nose running, fever inducing way to have given Ggio a bit of a break, but he had recovered and the lacerations that had marred his body were nothing more than almost-faded scars.

Soi Fon placed a hand on her belly, well aware that no such underhanded, if well-meaning trick, could help her with the problem she faced now.

* * *

Sorry for the day late update, but I was called into work and wasn't able to do my usual check through and update. I have been so busy lately. A bit of irony; Black Fox and I were editing the latest batch of chapters we had typed out and we had used Omeda's younger sister, Mareyo, to push a plot point forward. And here we got her showing up this week in Bleach. Of course, it will be a long time until we get to that chapter as it's in the upper 500's while this chapter is only in the middle of the 100's.

This Weeks Question: Big cat, small cat, which set of cats do you love the most? As majestic as the big cats are, the small cats are just such characters and it's hard to ignore the awesomeness of purring. But big cats are so damn amazingly beautiful. Maybe it's a harder question than I though.

Next Chapter: Szayel reports to Aizen what he has learned so far about the Scarab they captured.


	14. Childish

Childish

"Well, what have you learned so far, my Seventh?" Aizen asked Szayel.

The two of them stood before the large Plexiglas window, gazing down at the Scarab. It slept soundly, curled up contently in a corner. After being led into the cell it hadn't tried to escape once, which made the Espada put in charge of the thing more uneasy than it should have. Almost all creatures kept in cages made at least one attempt to gain their freedom. This wasn't exactly what Szayel would consider 'normal' animal behaviour.

"It appears to possess a dog-like intelligence. It knows when feeding time comes around and it gets excited just before the doors open."

"It acts as if it's domesticated. I see. What are you feeding it?"

Then again, some aspects of the Scarab, like its much smaller cousins, remained disgustingly typical.

"Cattle, horse, oxen and other such animal dung collected from farms outside of the city, almost 100 pounds of it a day," Szayel replied and barely repressed a shudder.

Aizen raised an eyebrow at that answer. Szayel didn't blame him. It was getting tedious tracking that much animal waste in, not to mention the smell it created.

"I've also had to greatly increase the oxygen levels in the room. This is the first chance my Division has had to study a live subject. We've discovered that they have higher oxygen requirements than we expected. This means that it is very unlikely they have a base here in Soul Society. The percentage of oxygen in the Seireitei's atmosphere isn't conducive for long-term support. It's my belief that, frankly, they would die of oxygen deprivation if left in this environment for too long. I would give the smaller members of the Swarm a week before that happened.

"Like all insects, they are very fastidious in their grooming. This one spends at least six hours, per day, cleaning itself. We noticed from the beginning that it dislikes Hollows immensely and it will attack any I send in with the meals. Their tolerance of Shinigami is hit-or-miss. With the permission of their 'masters', my staff discovered that they have a keen interest in humans. Unfortunately, the humans we do have access to lack the strength to carry 100lbs of excrement into the cage on their shoulders, although, I believe they are just saying that because they don't want to touch the feed."

That pulled a faint smile out of Aizen, and it was one Szayel nervously matched. Karin gave him an emphatic 'NO!' when he had asked her to do so and had then informed him she would not permit him to ask the other girls to do so either. It really was a pity, Szayel thought, that his mistress was so squeamish about a few tons of cow pies.

"We also discovered that if we send Karin or Tatsuki in first, the specimen focuses on them and Nemu can get the bags of feed in without trouble," Szayel continued. "I haven't had much chance to study how they work yet, but we've found that the creature's wings give off some sort of low level energy signature. It's not reiatsu, but something else. We have yet to isolate its exact energy type."

Szayel continued with his report, relating to Aizen everything he'd learned so far, while holding back a few important bits of information: that it was Karin who had snagged the creature's interest, not Tatsuki and that it recognized and responded to her immediately, displaying a childlike obedience. One night, he'd even wondered if Karin couldn't get it to fly through a flaming hoop.

He'd discarded the idea when he remembered that the level of oxygen in the chamber, exposed to any sort of flame, plus the methane from the feed, would equal an explosion and flames the likes of which had probably died out with the late Soutaichou.

Still, it was _such_ a tempting thought.

"How long will it take to discover how their portals work?" Aizen inquired.

"It's hard to say. We need to identify and understand the properties of the energy source they use first. There could be a sort of positive/negative orientation to them as well and it may take two differently 'charged' Scarabs to create a portal. The need for another with the same charge is also possible but less likely, as any charge they might create would be much weaker and more easily disturbed, and thus less stable."

He had become almost comfortable during the long conversation. When Aizen wanted to torment him, he usually did so in the 'playroom' in the Palace's basement. When he showed up here, it was generally all about business. In addition, as much as it sickened him to entertain the thought, let alone acknowledge it, he felt safer knowing that Karin was back. Aizen's amusement with her might have shifted to annoyance after the little altercation last week, however. He certainly hoped not, as she was the only reason he was not underneath Aizen every week for the smallest imagined slight. He couldn't help but feel a certain amount of disgust with himself. It was outrageous that an Espada such as he found himself reduced to cowering in a human woman's shadow.

"Continue with your research and inform me the moment you learn what sort of energy the Swarm is using. I trust it won't take you too long." The confident smile Aizen gave him didn't offer friendly encouragement to do his best. Instead, it promised him pain should he take too long in cracking the creature's secrets.

"Of course, Kami-sama. Unless you wish otherwise, I will focus exclusively on this project. My team should be able to deal with placing the last of the depth sounders unsupervised. Unlike the Defence Net poles, their positions do not have to be precisely laid out."

"So be it."

With that, Aizen turned and walked out, leaving Szayel alone in the lab attached to the holding cell. He let out a long sigh of relief as the sound of the door sealing faded. He was finally alone with his thoughts and in one piece. After a meeting with Aizen, he tended to count that as at least a 'pass'.

The meeting had gone well, and despite his ingrained fear of his ruler, he had to admit he was excited to show off his knowledge. They had learned a lot about how the Swarm functioned from Specimen S4-01 or 'Mushi' as Karin had nicknamed the darned thing. He wasn't happy about the appellation. It meant she was going to get attached to the damnable thing and any hope he had of convincing her to conduct some of the experiments he needed to, ones he knew she would morally object to, had pretty much flown out the window.

Still, he had to admit even he had grown grudgingly fond of Mushi over the last few days. For a bug, (he or she, Szayel hadn't determine the thing's gender yet) it had been a willing participant. Mushi was completely obsessed with Karin and acted like an excitable puppy when she appeared, chittering rapidly away whenever it saw the young woman and Szayel knew, without a shadow of doubt, Mushi was speaking in the Swarm's language. He had Nemu working on whether or not they could translate the sounds into something meaningful but Mushi only 'spoke' when Karin was there.

Since no one knew when Aizen was going to stop by, and as Karin was busy with her own duties, she hadn't been able to spend much time assisting Szayel in his research. It was so frustrating to him. If they could translate and recreate the language, they might be able to communicate with the Swarm, or at least determine their battle plans.

Of course, that could also turn into a double-edged sword. If Aizen learned _why_ the Swarm had a vested interest in Karin, Szayel foresaw a veritable shit storm of trouble headed their way. He did not want to even _begin_ to consider what 'Kami-sama' would do to him should Aizen learn that he had been withholding such a tidbit from him, especially as it was information he'd possessed since before Karin had ensnared him with her Claim. It would make what he'd done to Szayel thus far, for minor infractions, look like a walk in the park on a sunny day.

Shivering, he forced those thoughts away and concentrated on mentally designing a machine to help him pinpoint the variety of energy Mushi's wings radiated. As extensive as the combined collection of equipment of Kurotsuchi and his own labs in Las Noches were, nothing he had on hand seemed to be able to read it properly. Once he knew that they could at least _start_ making scanning devices to pick up that energy signature, he could begin designing a better early warning system. If the defenders could engage the Swarm hundreds of kilometers away from the city, they would also be able to use attacks with greater power without worrying about annihilating entire sections of the city and massacring thousands of souls. Not that any of the Arrancar, including Szayel, really gave a damn about the citizens living that far away from the protection of the city, but if too many were to suddenly disappear it would give the precarious balance the Realms had achieved a very violent shove in the wrong direction. Who knew, if they managed to get the front lines far enough away, Aizen himself might even be able to step in, and that would definitely cut the battles shorter.

His hands flexed on the window glass, leaving faint marks as evidence of both his excitement over the possibilities the knowledge the bug below could offer up, as well as his distress about the latest of Aizen's unspoken threats. Szayel heard someone entering the key to the door from the other side and sighed. He would much rather concentrate on the former than the latter, since there was almost nothing he could do about his 'leader'.

"Szayel-sama, the first of the corpses are arriving," Nemu reported as she entered the room.

"Excellent," he clapped in excitement. "Are they in good shape?"

"They're acceptable," she answered. "There's the usual short term degradation, but once within a preservative field, they should last long enough to dissect."

"Wonderful! I was worried Grimmjow might have shredded his targets and rendered them useless for my research. Pick one out and have it brought to Dissection Room A. Let's find out what the insides of these things look like."

"As you wish," she responded and smiled at him. He found his mood lifted with the corners of her mouth.

Today looked to be a good day. He couldn't wait to see what secrets lurked within one of those specimens, especially with regard to the wings. If he was lucky, he might even be able to capture some of the residual radiation on them to determine what kind of relationship the various Scarabs had to one another when it came to portal creation. He might also discover a way to determine their genders, if any, and he could finally put a label on Mushi as far as the creature's sex. Such data was crucial when it came to courting a target. The more Karin could make Mushi co-operate, the faster his research would go.

(POV)

Ulquiorra was pleased, although only those that knew him very well would know. He appeared stoic as ever on the outside. On the inside, he was impressed with how far Diaemus had come. Love was still a slightly frightening, almost alien concept to him, but he knew there were two things he definitely loved.

The first was Orihime, and that had been a very rocky road indeed. He still had no idea how he had managed to get her to forgive all of his transgressions over the five years he'd forced himself upon her. It had taken some work on both their parts, but he understood now what he had done to her from her point of view, and it astonished him that she had ever absolved and accepted him. Women were strange. Grimmjow had once told him that human women were quick to forgive, if one could bend or even let go of one's pride long enough to apologize, preferably with a fair amount of bribery and begging. However, Grimmjow had also warned him that, more often than not, they were the ones capable of holding a grudge until time itself had ceased to exist and they would make every millisecond of that eternity utter hell for the one who slighted them.

Thus, Ulquiorra bent, folded and swallowed his pride and apologized as best he could to Orihime. In return, Orihime had quickly changed. The transformation from an unhappy, broken piece of property into the loving woman who made his formerly isolated and joyless life truly worth living was miraculous, not to mention… rewarding. As much as he despised Grimmjow, and though he would never admit it to the other's face, he could not deny that when it came to women, his fellow Espada was truly 'the king.'

The second thing he loved was his son, a prime example of what an Arrancar ought to be, and who lived up to all of Ulquiorra's expectations…. most of the time. There was only one other Arrancar child Diaemus's age, and that was Ajuga. Ulquiorra didn't hate Ajuga, or despise her for that matter. As Hollows went, she was an impressive girl growing into her power, who displayed all of the trappings of loyalty. She would make someone a powerful mate someday.

No, what Ulquiorra's issues with involved her carefree manner, a frame of mind that frequently got herself, Hana and Diaemus into trouble. With the Defence Net down, he could almost guarantee that trouble would find them more often as well. Ajuga, like her father, craved the hunt. Neither Ajuga nor Diaemus had an assigned unit yet so when the squads did engage the Swarm, they both went where they liked, although they usually ended up fighting close to where Hana's superiors deployed the Shinigami girl.

'_Perhaps it is time to assign them to a proper Arrancar unit,__'_ he thought.

It wasn't that he was displeased that the children partook in the battles. In fact, he was very happy that Diaemus had stepped up without any prompting. The real problem was that rogues, under the leadership of no one but themselves, could be dangerous in a battle. They could ruin traps laid for the enemy simply because they did not know one had been set. They could trigger a trap around the ones setting it, or fall into a trap they didn't know existed. As much as he admired his son's initiative, as the boy's father he needed to take a firm stand with regard to his child's actions.

"You called for me Otou-san?" Diaemus asked, landing gracefully before him.

His son had become adept at using his wings and he'd become a master of the air currents in recent years. Unfortunately, now wasn't the time to dwell on his son's accomplishments. Diaemus had a new set of skills to learn.

"I did," he agreed, putting the thought of unit assignment behind him for the moment. "Come," he ordered.

Diaemus didn't question his father's command and followed him as he launched into a Sonido. He led his son to a clearing that had come to mean something to him, the very one Grimmjow and he had created. Whenever he found himself in need of a place to do some serious thinking, or unravel a problem, he inevitably ended up in this place. Diaemus touched down beside him and patiently waited for him to explain why they were here.

"It is time that you learned how to use some of the attacks of your heritage, and use them properly."

He did a good job of hiding it, but Ulquiorra could tell that his son was excited at the prospect. So far, all of the training father and son had done had involved hand-to- hand attacks and defensive moves on both the ground and in the air. Ajuga had joined them for a few lessons, just as Diaemus had joined Ajuga and Grimmjow during their training sessions. Ever since the altercation in this very clearing, Grimmjow and he had come to a sort of understanding, a weary acceptance of each other. He silently applauded Karin for turning the insufferable Sexta into a tolerable, semi-productive Espada who had learned not to jump on and at everything that he disliked. Yes, Grimmjow had gone from being pure trash to an adequate warrior who proved useful during a skirmish. Ulquiorra certainly hadn't thought it possible, but time and a mate with a brain had apparently worked wonders.

"First, you shall learn how to use a basic Cero. Once you have mastered that, we will move on to a Bala and, if you can learn and demonstrate that to my satisfaction, the Grand Ray Cero."

Diaemus gave a nod of his head that betrayed only a little of his eagerness. He did well in keeping his emotions under control, lest an enemy use his emotions against him one day. That pleased the boy's father even more, as it was a hard lesson that many had never overcome. A warrior with a cool head and an unreadable face was far more likely to win, even against a far-stronger opponent.

"Very well. Pay attention."

Diaemus proceeded to emulate a sponge for the afternoon, soaking up the information as Ulquiorra walked him through the reiatsu manipulation required to produce a basic Cero. His son was not impulsive and had a large amount of patience, so the exercise in creating the small ball of energy in his hand and dismissing it repeatedly didn't frustrate him. When Ulquiorra was finally satisfied with the composition, he permitted his son to try firing one at a tree stump.

The formation was perfect, the Cero at the correct strength he'd requested, and the target was only a little off, hitting the ground several feet to the left and behind the trunk. Undaunted, Diaemus charged up another small one and fired again, adjusting his aim. This time it just nicked the top of the stump and impacted a tree, splintering the trunk slightly. Adjusting one more time, Diaemus hit his target dead on.

"Excellent," Ulquiorra said, and while an observer might have thought it understated, the praise was genuine.

Diaemus allowed himself a small smile, absorbing the paternal approval and lined up another shot. Right now Ulquiorra was more concerned with his son learning how to aim properly, rather than adding the component of power to the equation. Power would come later. A well-placed Cero was preferable during a conflict than sending off a large Cero that failed to hit their target. As the old proverb went, 'friendly fire isn't.' He did not want to hear about his son accidentally killing or harming his own forces because he couldn't aim a Cero accurately. Most Shinigami couldn't take one without either dying or being seriously injured. The militia forces fighting alongside them from the Rukongai definitely didn't stand a chance and in a war of this magnitude, they really didn't want the locals trying to stab them in the back if they decided that the Cero wielder was more of a danger than the Swarm.

"When you have learned to hit the target every time, we will work on power. When you have brought your power up to an acceptable level, we will work on learning Bala."

Diaemus nodded and lined up another shot at the trunk, a look of determination and concentration flashing over his features. The sun was setting before they returned to the den. Ulquiorra was delighted with his son's progress and if Diaemus could replicate the results of this training session, he would allow the child to work on slowly adding some power to them.

They found Orihime humming happily away in the kitchen when they made it home, the house smelling like a not-too-outlandishly-seasoned supper.

"Welcome home," she greeted them cheerfully.

"Good evening," he returned her greeting, as did Diaemus. They had both learned it was far better to acknowledge the pointless salutations or she would make things exceedingly uncomfortable for them.

"Supper is almost ready. I was hoping I could invite Tatsuki-chan, Karin-chan and their families over for a shared meal sometime soon, barring a battle, of course," she asked, looked at him hopefully. "It's been so long since I've been able to visit with the other ladies and I can't even recall the last time we all had dinner together."

"In the spring, when Kami-sama held his usual dinner party," Diaemus answered dutifully.

"See, it was such a long time ago!"

To Ulquiorra's dismay, the amount of hope in her eyes increased exponentially.

He had no problems with Tatsuki or Karin or even Tesra, who would probably spend the entire meal in a semi-terrified state. Grimmjow and Ajuga, on the other hand… Well, Ajuga could actually be well-behaved when in the company of others, and he _had_ just been thinking a little earlier that Grimmjow's manners had improved somewhat. He still didn't really understand the humans' need to socialize, but for her he could put up with it for one night. Besides, when he made her happy she tended to reward him with that thing she had learned to do to him with her tongue. He could feel himself getting aroused just thinking about it, all the while doing his best not to wonder _where_ she had learned such a thing. He suspected that it was after one of her infrequent visits with Rangiku. He'd never really understood Nnoitra's fascination with the tall, well-endowed woman, but if she kept sharing information like _that_ with his mate…

"Very well," he agreed to her request, pulling his mind back from a precipice that he didn't want to throw himself over in the presence of his son.

Orihime decided, instead, to give him a shove.

"Yes!" she practically squealed, throwing herself into his arms and planting a deep kiss on his lips.

He didn't know if the brief look of disgust that crossed Diaemus's face was from his mother's affectionate antics, or from the thought of having Ajuga over for dinner. It might have been a little bit of both. Either way, learning to deal with situations that he found unpleasant would do his son some good. Kami knew he'd definitely had to learn that particular skill over the years, considering the majority of his comrades.

"Well, let's sit down and eat dinner," she announced cheerfully, handing her son three plates from the cupboard. When Diaemus went to finish setting the table, she leaned into him, to whisper in his ear, "And I got a lil' something special planned for dessert."

He felt his groin tightening at her whispered promise. He also wondered, briefly, at what point he began letting someone lead him around by something other than cold logic. Looking at Orihime, he decided he didn't care. When she handed him a stack of bowls and went to the stove to dish up dinner into the serving bowls, Ulquiorra took them to the dining room. There he met his son's appalled green eyes.

"Otou-san?"

"Yes Diaemus?"

"Pease keep it down tonight. Oka-san can be … exuberant. And loud."

The look on Diaemus' face spoke of suffering endured mixed with disgust.

"You will understand better when it comes time to find a mate of your own," he explained.

Diaemus made another face.

"I doubt that will be anytime soon. The options around here are severely limited and there are far more important things to think upon and do than to find some… female to hang off of my wings."

"You are young yet. I do not doubt you will find an acceptable mate when such a time arises."

Diaemus made a non-committal noise that might have indicated agreement, but Ulquiorra could tell his son only did so to appease him. His son was young yet, not even a decade old. It would probably be a good century before he would be ready to look for an acceptable woman to bear his offspring. Nevertheless, his son _was_ approaching the age where he could start casting Claims of his own. He might even be the target of a Claim himself, though in Ulquiorra's opinion that danger was much farther down the list of things to worry about. While he doubted anyone would be stupid enough to do so, and doubted even more that Diaemus would be interested in casting any of his own, it was probably time to have that 'talk'. Briefly, he wondered if Grimmjow had ever worked up the courage to have a similar discussion with Ajuga. Taking someone on as a 'pet' was a huge responsibility. It was not something to do frivolously. He also didn't want to think about how Orihime would react to their son casting a Claim, given the methods used to cast them. She would probably have a fit if she knew, or even just thought, about their son having sex.

"Are you coming?" Orihime asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

"I am," he assured her. "As I hope to be later tonight."

Orihime sent him a surprised look over her shoulder, for he seldom, if ever, spoke in such an explicit manner. Still, the blush that cutely dusted her checks was well worth it, even if Diaemus gave him a look of revulsion as he walked past his father to get to the table.

Ulquiorra took his accustomed seat and happy that tonight's fare was a normal dinner of chicken and rice. The times she'd forgotten about that little rule had been… excruciating? Nauseating? Repellent? There had to be a word appropriate enough for what he felt, looking at her preferred concoctions, but he hadn't found it yet. He could have used the Claim to enforce that culinary rule, but they had agreed when she had accepted becoming his mate that he would not use the power he had over her for something as trivial as dinner. He had agreed to let her be her own woman and in exchange, she agreed not to inadvertently poison him.

However, Ulquiorra refused to think about how their entire relationship had only become possible due to Grimmjow's influence. Nothing, after all, was one hundred percent perfect.

* * *

Life has been pretty busy lately.

Korrasami and Morido: Not _everyone_ is in a horribly situation like the one Byakuya or Soi Fon is in. Most are more in line with Rangiku. As for why Yoruichi didn't take Soi Fon, or others, with her. 1) She doesn't know who holds Soi Fon's Claim, as far as the world knows it's Barragan. 2) Because they are Claimed, there is no knowing what orders they have, which could include trying to kill any of the escapees if spotted. 3) A Claimer knows where their Claimed is at all times, thus taking anyone with them would just lead Aizen's forces to their hideout, as was mentioned when Orihime decided to remain behind in Chapter 24 of part 1 when Ichigo tried to rescue everyone the first time.

Next Chapter: Oh, right, umm, Byakuya wakes up and Yammy finally manages to break him, and not by raping him either, but by doing something far more devastating. I do believe it's the last time such a dark scene will exists for poor Byakuya.

This Weeks Question: Who is all following the Manga at this point? I just had a crazy ass theory last Chapter that would be mind boggling if it was right.


	15. Soul Shatter

Author's note: this Chapter has been edited to remove dark material, to read the full Chapter please go to Adult Fanfiction. It's still pretty dark though. I promise, this is the last time there is a Chapter like this for Byakuya.

Soul Shatter

He woke slowly, his mind muddled and confused. His body dully ached and he lay on something soft and warm, not like the more firm mattress of his futon. The room was quiet, with only the low hum of machines to break the silence. No, wait… there was a third sound, like someone other than himself breathing and he tried to think back to determine why he was here in this strange place. The last thing he remembered was blistering agony and overwhelming humiliation. He vaguely recalled Senbonzakura's frantic voice in his mind. There was nothing after that and he took that as a sign he ought to be grateful for whatever had blotted it out.

He blinked his eyes open, but shut them quickly again as his world and the bed that he lay on spun like a child's top. After a moment to regroup, he tried again. It took a minute, but eventually his sense of equilibrium kicked in. As he suspected, he was in one of the recovery rooms at the 4th Division. What he hadn't expected to see was a shadow sitting in the chair at the small side table. He couldn't make out any details, as his eyes stubbornly refused to focus, but he was sure someone was there, even if he could only detect them because their silhouette was darker than the rest of the room.

'_Who_?' he wondered groggily.

It couldn't be anyone from his family, not even a servant since no one associated with the Kuchiki name would ever exhibit such an undignified, slouched posture. The body shifted and the unknown person stretched before looking his way and making a little surprised motion as they realized he was awake.

"Bya-san, you're awake!"

'_Ah, Ajuga-chan. Of course.' _

She was the only one who ever spoke to him in such a way, managing to sound both respectful and impertinent at the same time. While his eyes weren't doing well, his hearing was still intact. He also recognized her voice, though it sounded a little tinny, as if she was speaking into a metal can.

"Don't try to move yet," she ordered sternly, moving the chair over and taking one of his hands in hers.

Her flesh burned against his skin, which informed him of a few unpleasant things. He didn't need anyone to tell him the chill in his body was likely a result of severe blood loss. He felt so weak and still slightly dizzy. It wasn't the first time he'd awakened feeling like this. He had felt the same way in the aftermath of his battle with Kurosaki, and the subsequence stabbing through his chest by Gin.

"I need to get Unohana-Taichou. Nod if you understand me and promise not to try and move." Her voice told him she wouldn't take no for an answer.

He gave her a small nod, indicating he understood. He would never admit it, but nodding was all he was capable of now, being too weak to move his arms.

"Alright, I will be back," she promised, patting his hand gently and rising from her chair to retrieve Unohana.

He was exhausted, his body in the throes of a recovery that hadn't completely happened yet. He didn't recall falling back to sleep, but the next time he woke up it was to sunlight streaming in through the window and the chair next to the desk was now empty. He tried to move to sit up, pausing when something crumpled in his hand. Abandoning the attempt to sit up, he unfolded the paper instead. The kanji were perfect and beautiful and he knew the writing belonged to Ajuga. He expected to read something like a get-well missive. Instead, Ajuga gave him a full page of information: how long he'd been out, when he'd arrived (or rather, when someone had dragged him in), what his state was to the best of her knowledge, and perhaps the biggest, somewhat almost satisfying piece of information, that Yammy had finally been punished for doing this to him.

While cheering him in the short term, the information held little consolation for him. Yammy had cannibalized a family member and horribly maimed a servant. Nothing could change that. Well, if Orihime was involved, the servant might have gotten her ear back, assuming his family had brought her here instead of to the usual physician. Helpfully, Ajuga had written out the answers to most of his questions, as if anticipating his concerns.

That surprised him at first, but he concluded that she had attended Jushiro often enough over the years during his stays at the 4th Division and therefore knew the most common questions someone waking up in this type of situation might ask. Perhaps the part that warmed him the most, not that he would ever admit it, was that she had promised she would be back after dinner, giving him an approximate time as well.

"I see you're with us again, Byakuya-san."

He turned his head towards the doorway as Unohana walked up to his bedside, the picture of serenity.

"Can you see things clearly?" she asked.

He gave a slight nod of his head.

"Any shadowing?"

That earned her a shake of his head.

"Strange colours?"

Shake.

"Spots?"

Shake

"Blurriness?"

Shake.

"Do you have a headache?"

Nod.

"Mild?"

Nod.

"Does anything else hurt?"

He nodded reluctantly.

"Now, I am slowly going to carefully manipulate your body. Give a nod the moment you feel any pain or a shake of your head if it feels fine. I want you to indicate with your fingers how much it hurts: one for a mild hurt up to five fingers for a sharp pain," she instructed and smiled at him. He recognized the smile, the dangerous one that indicated she was serious and that it was in one's best interest to comply if one wanted to live.

A part of him felt honoured that she'd pulled it out to use on him.

"Please put your noble pride aside and answer honestly. I do not want to see headshakes and '1's' when you are feeling a' 4' or a '5'. Pain is an indication of injury or infection and even a small ache can be a prelude to a bigger, life-threatening problem. Are we clear on this point?"

He gave Unohana a firm nod, indicating he understood and would do as ordered. Byakuya was thankful Ajuga wasn't here. It was much easier to be truthful when he didn't need to worry about frightening the young woman. 'Young woman', indeed. He couldn't really call her a 'girl' any longer. The child's body had rapidly grown and changed as the years had passed. Ajuga was almost as tall as her mother was now and she might even reach her father's height before she finished maturing.

"Let's begin."

Slowly, she went over his body. Despite himself, he still let out an odd hiss of pain and reluctantly admitted that there were a good number of fours and fives. Most of it was, thankfully, ones and twos, but a few spots still hurt, like the place on his shoulder where Yammy had impaled Senbonzakura, going right through to the scapula and snapping a rib.

Thinking of his Zanpakuto brought up the question of its location. He impatiently went through with the rest of the exam before grabbing Unohana's hand before she could pull it away from him. He traced out the kanji for sword. 'Sword' was easier than trying to trace out the complicated kanji that either 'Zanpakuto' or Senbonzakura's name required.

"I am afraid I do not know where Senbonzakura is," she confessed. "He might still be at the Estate."

He nodded to indicate he understood, turning his gaze aside, hoping that Yammy hadn't done something foolish to his Zanpakuto. Unohana moved the bed into an upright position during his examination. The new angle allowed him to see the many papers strewn on the desk. Unohana followed his gaze and she smiled gently.

"Ajuga-chan. She has spent hours every day here since she learned your family admitted you. She was very upset over what had happened. I think she made these for you, but I will leave them for her to present when she gets back. You need to rest and recover your strength."

Byakuya nodded in agreement, beginning to fade. The examination had burned up what little energy he had. Unohana carefully reclined the bed back to its flat position and sleep quickly found him. The third time he woke up, the sky beyond the window was dark, and Ajuga was slumped in the chair at the desk, clearly asleep. Another note lay folded in his hand. Unlike the last one, this note was a 'get better soon' letter. Her calligraphy was truly the work of a Master. The gift she had made for him years ago hung in a frame on the wall in his private quarters, which, thankfully, had never been breached by Yammy again after the time he'd been clipped by the beetle's horn, the brute tending to him personally.

Exhaustion threatened to overcome him again, and he didn't fight it. Now was the perfect chance to rest and recover, to regain his strength before circumstances tossed him back into the hornets' nest. Punished or not, Yammy would never change his ways. He had no doubt that his Master was going to be furious over Aizen's discipline, and that anger would need an outlet. That outlet would be him. Yammy probably wouldn't beat him again soon, with Aizen's warning so fresh in his pea-sized brain. Instead, Byakuya would end up pinned to the nearest surface, the Claim reinforced violently and repeatedly until Yammy felt like he'd learned who was in charge. If anything, Aizen's interference would make things worse for him. Aizen probably knew that, which was probably why the tyrant hadn't really done anything before, either in his case or in the case of the others suffering similar abuse.

Byakuya drifted in and out of consciousness for the next few days, staying coherent for longer periods as the week wore on. Sometimes Ajuga was there when he awakened, other times not. Jushiro visited him on one occasion, as did Karin, Orihime and even Renji, with both of the twins in tow.

That had been a surprise. He hadn't seen much of his former Fukutaichou over the years and it was a great relief to see the redhead returned to his old self, and thoroughly wrapped around the fingers of Szayel's twins. There was no doubt about the affection his former subordinate held for his charges. That didn't surprise him. He remembered several conversations with his sister about the young man. Rukia and Renji's upbringing, if one could call it that, took place in one of the worst districts in the Rukongai, where blood meant little when it came to family. That Renji had quickly adopted them, taking on the role of protecting guardian, if not an uncle, thanks to Aizen's continued harassment of their father and the constant pressure put on the Seventh Espada seemed a good sign. Byakuya couldn't help but to think that, despite the tattoos, Renji would make an excellent father one day, assuming he ever found someone in the hell that Aizen had created out of the Seireitei and Szayel let him pursue any such relationship.

Renji had kept the tone of their conversation light, but Byakuya could sense a new gravity in the younger Shinigami. He also exhibited a wariness that bordered on paranoia, but anyone that resided in the former 12th Division probably had that ingrained in them. There was no telling what might pop out of one of Kurotsuchi's old laboratories. When Renji had determined that he'd stayed as long as was safe, he'd reached out and clasped his former Taichou's arm, his grip steady, and it almost seemed like he wanted to impart some of his strength to his superior. Byakuya hesitated only for a second before squeezing back, noble pride, as Unohana called it, be damned.

His reward was a wide, almost boyish grin, one he'd thought lost a decade ago and though his face betrayed nothing, he heart sang when he saw it.

Unfortunately, his reprieve couldn't last forever.

Eventually, Byakuya recovered enough to return home. Yammy even let him be for two days, allowing him to rest and recover in his room undisturbed before a nervous servant came to him with the unwelcome news that Yammy wanted to see him. The servants dressed him in the new attire the massive thug designed for him: tight-fitting leather pants and a fishnet shirt. They tied his hair back into a ponytail and reapplied the leather straps with clips to his ankles, thighs, waist, wrist, biceps and neck. The pants were uncomfortable and abraded his still-sore hips, but the fishnet top was loose enough that it didn't aggravate his bandaged wounds. The mesh felt strange against his skin and he wished he could go without it.

"Get out," Yammy ordered the help as he entered the room.

The servants that had just finished dressing him scurried out quickly and fearfully while others quickly rushed in and set up a table with food and drink before fleeing as well. Yammy took a seat on the large cushion the servants set out for him.

Byakuya felt his body go rigid as the brute's presence violated his private sanctuary and his treasured personal belongings. His quarters were going to reek of spilled sake and food for days, not to mention his Master's rank stench. Such thoughts instantly ceased when Yammy took something from his belt and laid it across his lap.

"Sit," the brute ordered, indicating the cushion beside him.

He kneeled down on the cushion next to Yammy and forced himself to tear his gaze away from Senbonzakura. Yammy got upset when he paid attention to others and he had a feeling the situation was already volatile. He didn't need his Master going off the deep end and killing or maiming more of the residents of the Kuchiki Manor just because the massive bastard was jealous of a Zanpakuto.

"Aizen-Kami told me you got to be close to your Zanpakuto to summon it. So summon it," Yammy snarled, thrusting Senbonzakura against his chest.

He took the blade, feeling Senbonzakura rush into his mind, demanding to know if he was well. He assured his companion he was before reluctantly manifesting his blade's spirit beside them.

"You can speak for my Chicchai-Hime right?" Yammy demanded.

"I can," Senbonzakura reluctantly admitted.

"Good," Yammy attempted to purr, but it sounded more like a disgusting grunt. "From now on, when there is no one else to communicate for you, you're gonna summon him to speak for you," he ordered, pulling tightly on the Claim. "Understand?"

Byakuya nodded, nauseated at the very idea of being forced to share Senbonzakura's presence with such an uncouth individual. What he liked even less was the lecherous, contemplative look Yammy gave his Zanpakuto. Yammy reached forward and his hand went right through Senbonzakura's manifestation. Byakuya still felt his soul dirtied by that oaf's meaty paw.

Grunting, Yammy pulled his hand back and looked about the room while he helped himself to the meal that had been laid out. Without a word, Byakuya filled the empty sake cup. He could feel how precarious Yammy's mood seemed. Even after the beating he'd received from Aizen, nothing could quell the furnace of rage that burned in the Espada's soul. The fire remained banked most of the time, but the smallest spark at the right time could blow it up into a raging inferno and once ignited, his temper took a long time to cool.

"Your room is boring as fuck, Chicchai-Hime. You need to liven it up. The only artwork you got in here is more freaking writing," Yammy snorted as he eyed the walls with their collection of calligraphy and poems.

One piece must have caught his eye for he suddenly smirked, rose to his feet and marching towards the framed picture of Kanji and a Sakura tree mounted on the wall, the very picture Ajuga had handcrafted for him several years ago.

He quickly interjected himself between his Master and the artwork before the Espada could do any damage to it. Yammy sneered at him and simply tossed him aside to land in a sprawl on the floor before taking the picture down from the wall and holding it as if ready to tear it in two.

"This thing means something to you Chicchai-Hime?"

"It was a gift from Ajuga Jaegerjaquez," Senbonzakura explained for him.

"Huh, who knew the she-runt had such a talent," Yammy grunted as he set the picture down on the nearby dresser. He then snatched a smaller portrait from it instead, to Byakuya's horror. "This bitch I know," Yammy snarled before snapping the whole thing in half and shredding the photo before Byakuya could try to stop him.

Pain tore through his heart as the monster obliterated the portrait of Hisana, the only one left in existence, before his very eyes. An expression of surprise and shock crossed Yammy's broad, ugly features as the overwhelming grief struck him through the Claim, so much so that he almost stumbled.

Without a thought, Byakuya shoved Yammy aside and gathered the torn fragments in his trembling hands, desperately hoping he would wake up or that the scraps of paper and glass would somehow reform into the picture of his late wife. He had not realized he was crying until the first tear landed on the back of his hand.

Yammy just stared at him stunned as overwhelming sorrow deluged the Claim before regaining his wits.

"Didn't realize you loved that little tramp so much. If I knew that I wouldn't have let her escape so easily," Yammy laughed nastily.

The Tenth's vicious comment briefly stilled Byakuya's grief-ridden mind as the shock flowed through him, before his anguish turned to blinding rage. He had silently put up with everything Yammy had inflicted upon him through over the years. The rape, the humiliations, the deaths of a large number of servants and some family… all of it paled in comparison to this one, awful violation. He desperately wished that he could speak, so that he could send a string of curses at the monster, as well as shovel some knowledge into the vast empty cavern between Yammy's ears. He wasn't even sure where it was that he would start. Maybe he could begin by pointing out that the picture the beast had destroyed was of his late wife and not his adopted sister, as any idiot with any skills at observation ought to know.

Hisana had been far softer than Rukia. She had been delicate and her fragility showed in her picture. Hisana was _nothing_ like Rukia, and once he had permitted himself to get to know his adopted sister, the differences between the two were glaringly obvious.

Yammy wasn't taken off guard by his rage for long, and he cursed the Claim to high hell as it prevented him from being able to attack Yammy in the way he truly wished, with Senbonzakura's Bankai. Kido was the best he could do and without being able to chant the incantation, it was only strong enough to sting the Espada, which only pissed him off. If he'd been thinking rationally, he would have known this, but he'd abandoned rationality in favour of rage. He launched spell after spell at the bastard that had invaded his private sanctum and destroyed one of his most precious memories. His room was demolished under the sudden Kido storm as he let his rage play out. A large number of his possessions lay smouldering and the walls splintered from his display.

"What's got your tail in a knot?"

Yammy asked this with a laugh. The great lout seemed more amused by his outrage than angered, as the Kido did nothing more than irritate him. The stinging eventually annoyed him enough for Yammy to raise his fist to Byakuya. The Shinigami found himself backhanded so hard he collapsed to the floor. The storm of Kido subsided abruptly as his ears rang with the hit and his vision went briefly black.

"That was not Kuchiki Rukia, but Kuchiki Hisana," Senbonzakura answered sharply, rage in his Zanpakuto's voice.

"Who the fuck was she?"

"Byakuya-sama's late wife," Senbonzakura answered softly, mindful of his master's pain.

"Che, and here I figured that I finally stamped out the last little bit of your fire. I guess not!" Yammy laughed. "Still, I can't beat the shit out of you like you deserve 'cause Kami-sama told me I couldn't punish you like that again."

Yammy suddenly roared, releasing a small Bala that ignited the small pile of scrap paper, turning it into ash, along with a portion of the floor and the wall. Byakuya could only stare at the pile of cinders in continued shock and grief. The last portrait of his late wife was gone with no chance of recovering or mending it.

Ignoring his growing headache from the sharp blow to his face, he scrambled to the small pile of ash, staring at it in pure shock. His hands trembled as he slowly cupped the ash in his hands. He didn't even realize he was weeping until the falling tears started leaving tiny craters in the ash below him. Senbonzakura knelt down beside him, resting an arm over his shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort him.

"So, since I can't beat the shit out of you like you deserve, how the hell should I punish you?" Yammy puzzled aloud, more to himself than to his 'pet.'

Byakuya ignored him, not the least bit interested in what Yammy had to say. His entire body shook in misery as he crouched over the remnants, the last thing he'd had to remember her. There was nothing left of Hisana now.

"Can you make him solid?"

Byakuya felt a spike of fear as Yammy's grunted question forced his attention back to the situation at hand. He fought not to answer, but the amount of force Yammy exerted over the Claim forced a nod from him. He felt Senbonzakura stiffen next to him.

"Do it," Yammy commanded.

He shared a horrified look with his Zanpakuto, even as the Claim forced him to comply. Senbonzakura lost his shimmering appearance and solidified. Byakuya could feel the sheer _wrongness_ of this suffocating him. This was simply not done! In fact, Senbonzakura declared as much to Yammy, his voice calm though Byakuya could detect the blade's nervousness.

"Shut the fuck up," came the response, "…before I make you slice your throat while your Master watches."

"Your Claim is not with me," Senbonzakura pointed out coldly

Yammy scowled in anger, and for a moment, Byakuya thought the Espada was going to club him in the head. Instead, the Espada's look of anger morphed into something much more sadistic and cruel.

"You know, Aizen-Kami said I couldn't beat your pretty little face in since he needs you to help fight the Swarm, but he didn't say _anything_ about your blade," Yammy smirked at him.

Byakuya instantly tried to unsummon Senbonzakura, but Yammy clamped so firmly down on the Claim that he gasped in pain. Senbonzakura quickly drew his blade to defend himself, but Yammy simply grabbed his wrist in one meaty palm before the blade could fully leave the sheath. There was a sickening 'crunch' as his Zanpakuto's wrist shattered and the blade clattered to the ground. Senbonzakura let out a strangled cry of pain.

"Let's see what you look like under this stupid mask, eh?"

Senbonzakura sidestepped Yammy's sweeping grab for his mask, but that was about all he could do with one wrist still captured. Even that small amount of movement pulled another sound of pain, one that turned into a soft cry as Yammy suddenly jerked him up off the ground by that same, wounded wrist until his feet dangled several inches from the ground. Senbonzakura struggled like a fish on a line, trying to get his arm with it's broken wrist free of Yammy's grasp, but couldn't break away.

"If you don't stop wrigglin', worm, I'll break all your bones and make your master hold you here so you can watch while I fuck him until his thighs are stained red with his own blood. Got it?" Yammy snarled, tossing the threat into the Zanpakuto's face.

Senbonzakura went limp and Yammy set him back down on his feet, but didn't release him. This time the Zanpakuto spirit stilled as Yammy tore away the helmet's faceplate and tossed it aside. No one had ever seen Senbonzakura's face other than Byakuya. Others, such as his Grandfather, had met Senbonzakura when they had been training towards Bankai, and more recently his entire household, which was mortifying. _This_ overstepped so many boundaries…Byakuya could barely think straight.

"My Chicchai-Hime is far more alluring, despite how closely you resemble each other," Yammy spat, his appraisal less than happy-sounding. "Still… not bad."

Senbonzakura flinched as Yammy cupped the side of his face and ran his fingers through his hair, snapping the hair tie in the process so the long strands fell down his back.

"Your hair is much coarser. Your skin is much darker. Your eyes ain't nearly as full of hidden defiance and they're freaking _blue_ instead of steel grey."

"Please release me," Senbonzakura demanded, his voice steady despite the fact he seemed as offended as Byakuya over the entire affair. The fact the blade was hurt didn't help matters either.

They trained together in their inner world, so Byakuya knew pain wasn't a new sensation to Senbonzakura. However, he was ill-prepared for an outsider to paw at him. Byakuya saw it first, the shift in Yammy's eyes he knew all too well. He threw his entire force, weakened as it was from his slow recovery at Yammy's hands, against the Claim, mentally clawing and scrambling against it. He hadn't struggled like this since his first month of slavery, and this felt far more desperate to Byakuya than that time. He wasn't Yammy's intended victim this time around

Yammy threw his 'pet' an amused grin before turning his attention back to the trapped man in his grip. Byakuya tried to shout out a mental warning, but Yammy doubled down on the Claim so strongly that Byakuya's vision tunnelled and went black around the edges. The monster ordered him to stay still, to watch, and to be silent, all without a spoken word. Byakuya hated the fact that his 'master' didn't need to speak to him to force his obedience.

"I can't hurt my Chicchai-Hime, at least not visibly. But, causing you pain and distress hurts him as well, doesn't it?" Yammy's smirk widened to cover most of his face. "And Kami won't be able to see the damage, will he?"

Senbonzakura seemed to catch onto what was going on now, and shot Byakuya a panicked look. Yammy punched his captive hard, knocking him off of his feet and would have sent him to the ground had it not been for the grip on his wrist.

"Pay attention to me," Yammy snarled. "I can't discipline my pet directly, so let's see how well he listens when it's his little sword friend who's hurting!"

(TIME)

"Aren't you two a pretty sight," Yammy sniggered when he was done, putting himself away and adjusting his hakama. "Alright, Chicchai Hime… You can let your little friend go home."

Byakuya quickly dispelled Senbonzakura before Yammy could change his mind or think up another way to hurt and humiliate them. He felt his soul wrench as they fully rejoined and all of his Zanpakuto's pain, humiliation, and horror merged into his injured soul, further damaging it.

"I trust you will be more attentive, Chicchai-Hime. If you are not, I will take my frustration out on your little friend again while you watch. Or…" Yammy suddenly smirked evilly, "make you do it".

He froze up at the suggestion. It was such a vile thought! Not even Aizen had ever dared to sink so low as to inflict that on one of the captives. It would be infinitely worse than when Yammy had made Renji's shuffling body mount him. At least Renji had been soulless and hadn't had to suffer as well. Yammy forcing him to assault his own Zanpakuto would be the equivalent of self-mutilation, feeling everything twice-over as it happened

"I trust you will remember this lesson," Yammy warned before fixing the rest of his clothing and storming away. On his way out, the monster deliberately stepped on the remains of Hisana's picture, tracking the ashes behind him and smearing them in gray streaks across the floor.

He couldn't even pretend to be noble with the horror that had just occurred. He fought back tears until he managed to crawl his way over to what was left of his futon, where he finally did break down and rush into his inner world.

Byakuya found Senbonzakura shivering under their cherry tree, the one he'd managed to regrow over the last few years. To the Shinigami's sorrow, it looked as if someone had poured kerosene over the roots. The once-healthy bark had withered and curled up, and the tree's branches had lost all of their fluttering green leaves. Most of the tiny patch of grass he'd worked to salvage had turned a sickly yellow as it died. After years of hard work, of progress to rebuild and put his inner world back on a firmer footing, the last few hours had reduced the place back to rubble.

He could only hold Senbonzakura as his Zanpakuto's body shook against his own. Never in a million years had Byakuya guessed that Yammy would discover a way to attack his very soul like this, but the brute had, and now the beast knew how to go about doing it again...

He'd bent during the long years of training and the subservience Yammy had forced upon him. He'd done it to protect his family and those that relied on him, but he'd never truly given in. Now his very sanity was on the line and Byakuya admitted that he'd finally arrived at his breaking point. If this kind of torture continued, if Yammy were to persist in beating and raping him physically and spiritually, he would crack and let madness take him. The pain, oh god the pain of losing his last piece of Hisana, not to mention the agony the hulking bastard inflicted on him by trying to Claim Senbonzakura, felt like a red-hot knife in the gut. How much worse must it have been for his Zanpakuto, to have to experience the overwhelming pain combined with the hateful pleasure Yammy's Claims always induced, even if the bastard hadn't gone through with it?

'_Somehow, some way, we will find a way to flay the meat from his very bones_,' he vowed.

Senbonzakura only nodded in agreement, but his trembling never ceased. His Zanpkauto could have taken a beating, but rape… His last sanctuary had been annihilated more than any room in the Estate ever had. Senbonzakura's blood soaked into the wooden floor where it would remain, a silent reminder of what would happen should he even twitch a finger the wrong way. Yammy would make sure the stain remained there, in his private quarters, even if it meant the floors remained dirty. As he bleakly looked around the shambles of his inner world, he felt the last bit of defiance die, snuffed out like a pinched candle. Only smoke and ash remained behind.

Kuchiki Byakuya's only recourse now was to try to submit in order to survive and thus ensure the survival of his Zanpakuto. The small spark of hope he'd managed to keep alive fizzled out, replaced with the knowledge that no rescue was possible, not as long as Yammy lived and the brute had so far proved too strong for anyone or anything to kill.

Even if it meant he had to destroy what was left of his pride in the process, even if it meant he had to suffer through every whim Yammy had, he vowed that he would make sure Yammy never again touched Senbonzakura in such a vile manner.

* * *

Umm, yeah, I am going to go hide in a bunker somewhere while the rest of you get over your shock at how depraved I just was. Got to admit though, if it was anything that would finally break him, this would pretty much be it. I will assure you I do have a very suitable death planned for Yammy.

Helios: no, I didn't castrate him.

Koh: You will notice that those in stable relationships do not refer to the others as Pets. Only Aizen and Nnoitra really do. Even Yammy uses Chicchai Hime for Byakuya. Regrettably, even in the real world, those with power do what they want and don't follow their own rules. The sad part is, everything I have written here does still happen in some countries out there, and the subjugated just keep their heads down and keep on living the best they can. As for the scene you mentioned with Byakuya, Karin was attempting to lighten the mood a bit, make a joke out of something dire so it no longer seems so dire, sort of like trying to role with the punches. As she commented, he looked good in the outfit at least.

Guest: I have tried to do the odd scene with the Escapee's but it just never works out. Beside, this way leaves it cloaked in mystery so when we do finally catch up to them it will be more impactive with what has gone on with them.

This Weeks Question: When do you think it will be safe for me to come out of my bunker?

Next Chapter: Orihime invites her friends over for dinner, and we get some loving sexing. All in all, a light Chapter to brush the dark one off. In fact, I may post it sooner so people can wash the dark taste of this Chapter out of their mouths.


	16. Dinner Invitations

Dinner Invitations

"How is Mushi-chan doing today?" Karin asked as she entered the observation room.

"It's doing well, all things considered," Szayel answered before turning away from the glass to face her "Must you refer to the specimen in such a familiar way?"

"Look me in the eye and tell me you haven't grown just a _little_ attached to our not-so-little friend," Karin challenged him.

"She's got you there," Tatsuki pointed out, following Karin into the room.

"I am merely interested in the creature as a research subject," he sniffed. "The pursuit of knowledge should be free from such things as sentiment and anthropomorphism," he muttered. "The next thing I know, you'll be trying to put a dress and a bonnet on it!"

"Of course you are only interested in the 'information.' Just like how Ajuga is simply your 'favourite specimen'.'"

Szayel rolled his eyes.

"Of course she is. The data I've gathered on her is simply amazing and she is a very co-operative case study!"

"You do know you sound ultra-creepy when you speak like that, right?" Tatsuki informed him.

"It is not my fault that lesser beings are intimidated by my superior intelligence," he declared haughtily.

"Sit, boy," Karin ordered with a grin.

Szayel plopped to the ground, glaring dangerously at Karin as she forced him to obey the order. Tatsuki, on the other hand, started to laugh outrageously, although what beads, ears and white hair had to do with this humiliation was lost on him. Karin seemed to get the reference though because her friend's comments brought a small smile to her lips.

"Why don't you use your amazing intellect and stand up?"

Karin tossed the rhetorical question to him while Tatsuki did her best to gain control over her laughter.

"I hate you so very, very much…" Szayel grouched, crossing his arms and pouting like a perturbed child.

Karin didn't like to use her Claim against him, as she was a strong believer in free will, but everyone once in a while he needed to be brought back down to reality when he really started to get his head stuck up in the clouds. It was either that, or she'd have to resort to another spanking. It was one thing to do it when he had been regressed to a state resembling one of her brother's high school friends. It was quite another when he was a full-grown adult. Maybe she could get Nemu to do it, although, he might actually enjoy that.

Szayel quite glowering and pouting like a child and sighed. "Can you please let me up, Karin-sama?" he asked reluctantly.

"Sure thing. We have better things to do than waste time sitting around. I have work that needs doing back at my Division. Let's get Mushi-chan fed. Is Nemu ready with the food?" Karin asked.

"She is waiting at the main deck for you," Szayel answered, rising from the floor.

"Excellent."

Karin took the nearby stairs down to meet up with Nemu. Tatsuki moved her way over to the window and looked down at the Scarab, which seemed engrossed with the task of cleaning itself.

"You know, Mushi is beautiful, for a bug," Tatsuki mused, stroking her chin, as if she were contemplating a work of art rather than an insect.

Mushi spread its wings and gave them a flutter, as if the thing could hear the woman's comment. They shimmered like a rainbow, every colour in the spectrum rippling across their surface. Mushi suddenly started chittering excitedly as Karin and Nemu entered the chamber. Karin approached the Scarab without fear and gently rested her hand against its massive head. The chittering calm downed, but it was still clearly speaking in its native language. They hadn't had much luck translating it yet and Szayel thought that the 'language' consisted of both body postures, such as those made by bees, as well as sounds. They would have better luck talking to and translating Dolphin speech. It would take a very, very long time to begin to translate the speech, as there were no _words_ to translate. Everyone just hoped Aizen would leave it at that for two primary reasons.

The first, and most obvious, was that if they translated what Mushi was saying than Karin and, by extension, Ajuga's secret would be out. Everyone involved in that conspiracy would be in very deep trouble.

The second, and only slightly less disturbing reason, was that Aizen wasn't known for his patience. If he decided he wanted a translation and Szayel couldn't produce one quickly enough, he might take his displeasure out on his favourite toys again, just as he'd done while building the Defence Net.

As usual, Mushi was unhappy when Karin left, but didn't put up much of a fight, instead going for the large pile of food Nemu had loaded into the feeding trough. Karin came back up the stairs while Nemu finished securing the heavy, steel door.

"Have you thought about building a chute to deliver the food?" Karin asked him as she returned to Szayel's side to watch Mushi eat.

"Yes, but I feel that my time and resources could be better spent on other projects."

"Are you sure you just don't want to study Mushi's reactions to my presence every time I enter to room?" Karin asked suspiciously.

"Well, that may play a factor as well" Szayel admitted sheepishly and Karin could feel his growing apprehension.

Even after all these years, he still grew stressed when he thought she was upset with him. The worse reactions usually popped up right after a 'play-session' with Aizen and she couldn't really blame him for being jumpy. Kami, literally in this case, knew how long Aizen had been conditioned him to respond in such a way, possibly for even longer than she'd been alive.

"Whatever," Karin sighed, relieved when she felt his anxiety fade. "It's harmless anyway."

She did have a question and she figured now might be a good time to ask while it was on the forefront of her mind.

"Szayel."

"Yes, Karin-sama?"

Karin almost asked, but paused when she noticed Tatsuki looking at her curiously. It wasn't that she didn't trust Tatsuki. However, the fewer who knew about her ability to cast a Claim by touch the better. Of course, now that she thought about it, Tesra knew she could cast Claims as she had first tested her abilities on him. She had no idea if he'd shared that with his mate or not. Still, it was safer to stay quiet about that than not.

"Never mind, I forgot what I was going to ask. I hate it when that happens," she sighed.

Szayel looked at her suspiciously, but didn't comment on it. He had probably already figured out that she didn't want an audience for whatever she was going to ask him.

"I have to get back to work. Are you coming, Tatsuki? We are running drills this afternoon and I know you wanted to participate."

"Absolutely," Tatsuki agreed with a grin.

With that, the two women left while Szayel turned his attention back to Mushi, who was still eating his meal in a very content, unrushed manner.

"At least Mushi doesn't feel the need to roll it into a ball and keep his meal around," Szayel mused. "Nemu?"

"Yes?"

"Can you please check on Abisara and see how that device is coming along? I want to start scanning the various wavelengths for any radiation from those wings sooner than later, before Aizen-kami decides it is taking too long to figure it out."

"Of course," she offered him a small smile before she left to check on their son.

(POV)

Karin and Tatsuki walked down the street, en route to the 5th Division grounds when Orihime's voice made them stop in their tracks. A moment later, the girl ran up to them.

"Orihime-chan, were you planning on doing some training as well?" Tatsuki asked.

"Huh? No, I am here to ask if you guys want to come to dinner tonight. Ulquiorra said I could invite you and your mates!" she announced both loudly and happily.

"Can you repeat that, as I am not quite sure I understood you the first time," Karin requested.

"Do you want to come over for dinner tonight? Please!" she begged.

"Not that part, the part before it. Did you really just try to tell me that _Ulquiorra_, the 4th Espada Ulquiorra, consented to invite _Grimmjow_ of all people over for dinner?" Karin asked with a raised eye.

"Of course! I thought I said it clearly…" Orihime pondered the thought, frowning a little, as she made sure that was what she actually said.

"Oh you said it clearly enough, but we are talking about _Ulquiorra_ agreeing to spend time with _Grimmjow_. Have you seen those two in a room together, especially if we are not present to remind them of their manners?" Karin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Admit it, Grimmjow needs the reminder far more then Ulquiorra does," Tatsuki muttered, looking at her nails.

Karin chose to ignore her. She really couldn't argue with that statement. Sometimes her mate reminded her of an excitable child. Still, she loved him and didn't want him to change. Well, maybe he could be a bit less foul-mouthed, but she had to admit that when he went all 'hungry animal' on her it led to some amazing sex. It made her core all tingly and warm just thinking about it.

"Well, I missed you guys so much! We are all so busy with the Swarm and stuff." Then she paused. "I may have bribed him just a little," Orihime reluctantly admitted with a faint blush.

"Ah," Tatsuki said wisely, "that makes considerably more sense. Despite all your work on him, and it is noticeable, Ulquiorra is still not the most social person I have ever met," she noted.

Orihime's blush deepened.

"So will you please come?" Orihime pleaded. Her eyes widened as she attempted to give them her well-known and somewhat-feared puppy dog look.

"I don't see why I couldn't," Tatsuki shrugged. "Although, I'm not so sure how comfortable Tesra will be eating dinner with Ulquiorra. Sure, Nnoitra's scarier but at least Tesra knows what to expect from Nnoitra."

"Karin-chan?"

Orihime increased the intensity of her pleading and Karin knew defeat approaching when she saw it.

"I suppose," she sighed. "If anything it will be amusing watching my mate and Ulquiorra attempt to be cordial to each other for a few hours."

"Yes, thank you!" Orihime gave them both a big hug. "I have to run to the market now. I'll see you for dinner!"

"Yeah, see you later tonight!" Karin called after her.

Tatsuki just waved as Orihime ran off.

"This ought to be an amusing meal," Tatsuki predicted.

"Now _that__'__s_ an understatement," Karin agreed.

(TIME)

"No," Grimmjow growled. "Absolutely fucking not!"

"Why, are you scared or something?" Karin asked innocently as she peeled off her sweaty work uniform. She'd led a sparring practice before coming home. The resulting sweat and dirt had her uniform practically glued to her body.

"Fuck no!"

"Language," she admonished, tossing the smelly fabric into the laundry basket.

She could tell he was irritated, and not only because he looked like a bristling cat with a lashing tail. She could actually feel his unhappiness coursing through their bond. Karin decided to switch tactics. She knew her mate, and like all good women, knew how to get him to do what she wanted while making it seem like it was his idea all along.

"You can stay here then. Ajuga and I are going, however. Diaemus-kun and Ajuga have been getting a lot closer lately…" she replied, casually dropping what she hoped was a bomb in his lap.

It had the intended effect. She watched with satisfaction, out of the corner of her eye as he stiffened in outrage. Oh, Karin thought, he could _pretend_ to be the tough bad-boy, but the moment his little girl became the topic of discussion, she knew she had him right where she wanted him.

"How close?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

"Closer than the relationship Diaemus-kun has with Hana-chan," she answered, reaching into the closet to pull out a nice yukata to wear for dinner, making a show of checking the lining and matching an obi to the print.

She paused as she looked at the one she had grabbed, the very one Yuzu had insisted she keep, the same one Grimmjow said looked nice on her. Every time she held it, it reminded her of her sister and, by extension, her estranged brother. She had written a hundred notes to Ichigo, trying to apologize for how she had spoken to him that day in the park, trying to explain her actions and why she did it. She tried to tell her siblings that for all intents and purposes, she was married now and had a daughter she loved, that they were, respectively, now an Aunt and Uncle of an amazing young girl. Karin usually ended up burning whatever note she was writing in a flare of Kido, unhappy with how it sounded. She wasn't entirely sure she trusted Yoruichi enough to give them to the woman, despite years of sporadic communication with the feline.

"Fine, I'll come," he grumbled, breaking her out of her doldrums. "If it'll make you feel better."

Karin gave him a look of surprise for a moment before realizing that he ascribed her sudden depression to his unwillingness to go. She forced the gloomy thoughts aside to pay attention to the here and now.

"I knew you would," she smiled at him.

Dropping the yukata to the floor, she closed the distance between them and gave him a hug, completely ignoring the fact she was naked. Part of his anatomy certainly did notice though as it currently poked her through the sudden tent in his hakama.

"What time is this stupid dinner?" he asked with an aroused growl.

"We have time," she answered with a purr, melting into his arms and not resisting when he picked her up and all but tossed her onto their futon. "Insatiable," she complained good-naturedly.

"Only when it comes to you."

"Good, I would hate to have to castrate you for looking at other women."

He had been a wild tomcat before she had brokered her deal with him. Grimmjow had been in the habit of bringing home a different Arrancar female several times a week and engaging in such wild sex that closing the door to the room she had shared with Yuzu hadn't dampened the sounds much. He hadn't so much as looked at another woman since the night she had given him her virginity in exchange for Yuzu's protection. Despite the tense situation, she found that night was actually a fond memory now. She had been expecting him to take her as hard and fast as he did with his 'conquests', but he hadn't. He'd taken her slowly, calmed her down and walked her through what was going to happen. It was the first time she had ever seen the better side of his nature. Karin hadn't known it existed before.

All other thoughts about her first time with him and her family quickly flew out the window when she felt a warm, wet tongue run up her slit. She let out a gasp and bucked her hips up into his face. He anticipated her reaction and held her hips steady with his hands, eating her out like a starved animal. That act earned him several gasps and moans.

"Good, pay attention to me," he growled.

"Spoiled house cat," she declared.

"Panther," he corrected as he prowled back up her body.

"Are you living in a house?"

"Yes."

"Is a 'panther' a type of cat?"

"Of course it is," he snorted.

"And are you horribly spoiled?" she asked, running her hands up and down his back and kissing his forehead.

"Doesn't feel like it right now," he complained.

"Well, I can assure you that you are, indeed, _spoiled_. Thus, as you have just agreed, you are a Spoiled. House. Cat." She kissed his lips before he could protest, "…and, just between you and me, do you not enjoy being spoiled?" she asked huskily.

"You know it."

"I thought so."

Karin grasped his shoulders and rolled them around so she was on top now. She made quick work of the belt holding his hakama up and pushed them down to his knees so they were out of their way. His weeping erection bobbed between them, twitching in a desperate bid for attention. She dug under the pillows to find the box that contained their secret stash of oils and pulled out the first one she touched.

Pouring some in her hand, she closed the cap, set it aside, before wrapping her fingers around his length, and started to work the warm, pulsating shaft. His eyes closed halfway and his hands caressed her rear as she worked the oil over him with her deft fingers.

He bucked his hips up as she continued to stroke him, desperately seeking more friction. As much as she would love to continue to torture him, they did have a dinner to attend. Her fingers abandoned his shaft and moved their way up his body until they reached a nipple each. She gave them a tweak before resting her weight on her hands against his chest and lifted herself up so she could take him in.

She felt her walls stretch as she slowly enveloped his twitching, pulsating, heated cock. Resting for a brief moment, she wriggled her hips to get more comfortable, an action that wrung a hiss of pleasure from him and a tightening of those fingers on her ass cheeks.

Satisfied, she set a moderate pace, adjusting slightly until she got an angle to her liking. She arched her back and let her chest bounce a bit so her breasts jiggled each time she descended. Karin closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feel of that long length assaulting the deepest part of her.

It wasn't long until her efforts had them both breathing heavily and droplets of sweat broke out on their respective bodies. His hands left her hips and cupped a breast each, massaging them gently. She knew when he was getting close because his hands suddenly shot back to her hips and he started to thrust back up to meet her. His rhythm grew erratic after that and she braced herself against his chest. Karin felt him pulse once, twice and then gasped as his hot release filled her. One of his body's spasms hit her in just the right way and she found her release. Her own convulsing walls quivered as her juices joined his semen.

For several minutes, they remained entangled with his deflated shaft still inside of her as they caught their breaths. Karin grimaced as she finally untangled them and a rush of fluid ran down her leg.

"I think it might be a good idea to shower before going over for dinner," she suggested as she rolled to the side.

"Maybe," he agreed.

She rose to her feet and tossed a smile over her shoulder towards him.

"We still have an hour to get there. I don't think it will take that long to clean up" she replied and smirked at him before sauntering her way towards the bathroom.

Karin heard the crash as he tripped over his own hakama, still pooled around his knees, followed by some foul cursing, in his attempt to race after her. Oh yes, _nothing_ made a woman feel more wanted and sexy than a powerful male falling all over himself to get to her.

* * *

Some happy smut and life style to wash the foul taste of the last chapter out of our mouths, kudo's to those that braved the real version. I thought about removing the Inu Yasha reference as it's sort of makes Karin a bit of a bully, but I just find it so amusing and Szayel does need to be brought down a few pegs at times. She's under a lot of stress as well and sometimes that stress causes her to snap a little, just like any other ordinary person.

Even if word of what Yammy did got out, it's not a very effective tactic for a large number of Shinigami due to what their spirits are. That silly rebellion filler arc aside, most are not even human shaped, such as Toshiro's dragon, Gin's fox, Rangiku's cat etc.

As for Yammy breaking the rules, nothing is physically wrong with Byakuya. He can still go out onto the field and fight, so he didn't break Aizen's rules, just inadvertently found a really cleaver way around it.

Yes we will see more of Soi Fon here and there.

Teresa: Because with Szayel's division in control of the Gateways between the worlds, they have no way to easily access Soul Society. Kisuke is dead. Yoruichi can slip in and out, but the others simply can't ride a gateway without being noticed. How they got in the few times they did will be explained later on.

Also, resorting in gorilla tactics would just piss off the ruling force, and that anger would be brought down on the subjugated, which would inspire spite from those they are trying to rescue as they are punished for the Escapee's actions. They would also have to kill their target fast, while fighting off the one(s) they are trying to rescue as well, before reinforcements arrive. There is also no knowing if such tactics won't result in executions in retaliation.

Toshi: Sorry. Can I have the bottles for my son's RESP account?

Koh: Hana will find out that Starrk killed her father, its rather emotional.

Most of you: Your reviews inform me that my evil plans are bearing fruit. I am pleased it is working.

Next Chapter: The dinner, and it's a funny Chapter. One of my fav's.

This Weeks question: Looking back at the hype Kubo gave his Arranar/Espada, do you feel like their final battles were down played, or are you simply impressed with the sheer number of opponents (2-4) they held off and fought against?


	17. Family, Not Just Blood

Family, Not Just Blood

Across town, Tatsuki and her mate emerged from the shower themselves, their flushed, rosy cheeks caused by more than just the heat from the steam in the bathroom.

"Not quite a record, but enjoyable!"

Tatsuki smiled pleasantly as she tenderly kissed her mate's lips. "You are truly an attentive man, and I thank whatever lucky star that allowed us to stumble across each other's path," she purred.

"As do I," Tesra agreed softly.

"As much as I would love to just stay in and enjoy more of that, I did promise Orihime-chan that we would be there on time for dinner. Are you certain you feel comfortable about going to Ulquiorra's place this evening?"

It wasn't as if her concern was misplaced, Tesra thought. He was only a fraccion and he would be sitting at a table with two powerful Espada, one of whom outranked the one he served.

"It will be awkward," he admitted "but I know that this is what you and your friend want. I'll survive until dessert."

"Good," she replied and nipped his lips again before pulling away from his warm body with a sigh. "I suppose we should get dressed before we become distracted. Orihime would be upset if we missed her dinner because we got sidetracked."

"Hmm," he agreed.

Reluctantly, they parted and made for their shared bedroom to dry off and dress. He had offered to find them a bigger place, but Tatsuki assured him that she was happy here, at least until they had kids.

'_How long it will take before we are successful,__'_he wondered.

Tesra's dreams of late involved an image of his Tatsuki, her belly swollen with his cub, surrounded by the healthy glow of pregnancy. Serving as Nnoitra's fraccion, he had never even considered the possibly of having a mate one day, let alone having cubs of his own. Being what he was, he half-expected his master to choose any potential mate for him, in order to breed up another possible mate for Nnoitra. It would hardly be the first time such a scenario occurred. Naturally born Hollows were rare and those that found and Claimed them kept the ones they discovered under close control.

Yet, Nnoitra had never Claimed him, despite his right to do so. His first time having sex had been with the wonderful human woman he called his mate, who wore a golden ring that matched his own. They had lost their virginity to each other under a mutual exchange. Not even one in ten thousand Hollows could claim that.

"Are you going to get dressed, or do I need to do it for you?" Tatsuki inquired, already dressed in a deep blue version of his own uniform.

"I can do it. If you do it we will be late" he pointed out.

"True enough," she agreed.

He pulled on a fresh uniform and ran a brush quickly through his hair before sitting down to braid Tatsuki's long, chestnut-colored hair. Unbound, it reached the middle of her back. Tesra thought he'd finally figured out why she'd decided to keep her hair long, after a few long talks with her about her hairstyle. First, during the time that Ulquiorra kept both girls confined to the house, Tatsuki's short hair style became impossible to keep thanks to Orihime's ineptitude with scissors. Second, and perhaps the explanation he liked better, was that she enjoyed it when he played with and braided her hair back. Truthfully, that was a bonus for him as well.

Tesra finished in time for them to leave for Ulquiorra's den, walking out into the frosty night air. She could not use any form of faster travel as he could so they walked. It wasn't actually that far and it was a beautiful winter evening. They could see the silhouettes of trees, their bare branches looking like trails of ink against a deep blue sky, fading to black as star after star came out. Snow was rare here and rumour had it that it only fell when Hitsugaya was in a bad mood.

They were the first to arrive and Orihime greeted them happily at the door. Tesra settled himself in for a long, awkward evening as Tatsuki left him alone in the living room with Ulquiorra and Diaemus. They sat in silence for some time just staring at one another while the woman chatted happily in the kitchen.

"She seems content with your relationship."

Ulquiorra, surprisingly, broke the stifling silence first by addressing him and making him feel less like a potential component of the upcoming meal. "I am pleased you took my warning to heart."

"Ah, thank you. Yes, we are very happy together" he blushed lightly. "She has just agreed that she was ready to try for children of our own," he confessed, feeling that such information was safe to share with the Fourth Espada.

If he knew Tatsuki, she would tell Orihime, who would be unable to keep it from her mate and any other female she considered a friend. If what he'd heard was true, Diaemus and Ajuga were close friends. Tesra therefore doubted that Ulquiorra would be the least bit interested in obtaining he and Tatsuki's offspring for his son, should he have a daughter.

That didn't mean that the idea of the Fourth and Sixth Espada's children deciding to pair up permanently didn't fill Tesra with deep foreboding. Soul Society was going to burn should the day ever arrive that those two decided to pair up.

Karin, Ajuga and Grimmjow arrived shortly after that. Judging by the look of suffering that crossed Diaemus' face when Ajuga walked in, Tesra figured his worries on that score were for naught. There was no hint of affection in Diaemus' posture or eyes for Ajuga. In fact, each seemed slightly irritated that the other one was there, with a thin veneer of tolerance lacquered over the top, like ice across a deep pond. Ulquiorra took the opportunity to send less-than-friendly looks at Grimmjow as Karin abandoned her mate to join the happy girls in the kitchen.

Tesra, happily relegated to the role of wallpaper, watched as the two more powerful Espada squared off with each other. He sat back and did his best impersonation of a side table, content to remain quietly unnoticed, and therefore unharmed in his chair.

"Hey Diaemus, want to head out back?" Ajuga asked with a challenging smile, hooking her thumb over her shoulder towards the back door.

"Very well, but I do not wish for you to complain when I defeat you in whichever game you wish to fail at this time," he shot back, the boy's tone surprisingly sure.

"Because you win so many of them," she replied mockingly and rolled her eyes at him. "C'mon, before we end up having to help in the kitchen."

That actually seemed to have some sort of effect on the young male Hollow and his eyes darted towards the kitchen in horror before he quickly followed Ajuga out the back door into the yard.

"Grimmjow," Ulquiorra greeted his guest.

"Yo, how did _your_ broad sucker you into this mess?" Grimmjow asked as he collapsed leisurely onto the couch across from Ulquiorra.

"I would suspect the same way your own mate convinced you to attend tonight's dinner," Ulquiorra answered nonchalantly.

Grimmjow threw back his head and laughed. "Damn, she sure has got you whipped, boy," he gasped out, showing no small amount of fangs.

"Implying that I am 'whipped' would also imply that, you yourself suffer from the same condition."

"Yeah, but I can own up to it," Grimmjow smirked. "What about you? Are you whipped?"

It took a moment for Tesra to realize that Grimmjow was talking to him.

"Uh, most assuredly," he admitted. "The entire idea to Claim and mate was hers."

Tesra wanted to sink into the cracks between the floorboards, his face reddened, unable to believe he was having this sort of conversation with two Espada. It only got worse as the minutes ticked by.

"Ajuga and Diaemus are getting older. Have you spoken to her about Claims yet?"

Grimmjow looked as if he'd swallowed a bee, but recovered quickly.

"Nah, I asked Harribel to do it. I figured it would be better if she learned about all of that shit from another female Arrancar. They do things differently than we do and she could answer the questions Karin and I wouldn't have a clue about," he admitted. "What about you?"

"Diaemus is younger than Ajuga, but I plan on speaking to him about it soon, preferably on a day that Orihime is not around. It will be uncomfortable enough without his mother hanging around and making a scene."

"Good idea. You know how protective women get with their cubs. They'll damn near do anything to keep 'em safe."

Tesra knew that all too well. His mother had put up with the bastard that had killed his father for the sake of keeping him unscathed. He wished he could remember his parents more clearly, but the only real memories he had from way back then were those involving his mother's death and meeting Nnoitra for the first time.

"What do you think Barragan's going to do with the brat his fraccion and his bitch are going to push out?" Grimmjow wondered aloud.

"I do not know," Ulquiorra admitted. "The Second is acting… irrationally over the situation. It has upset Orihime greatly."

"Karin too," Grimmjow divulged, and his face took on a darker expression, unnerving Tesra, who considered discreetly scooting his chair away from the Sixth until he concluded that the only way he was going to get any farther away from Grimmjow involved abandoning the chair in favour of leaping out of a window.

"I don't get that old poof. He had the gall to go after Ajuga," Grimmjow growled "but the moment a potential naturally-born female is delivered into his pack and free for the pickings, he doesn't want it? I think senility is catching up with the geriatric fuck."

"Perhaps, or perhaps there is another issue we are unaware of. Unlike Ajuga, the lineage of this child, in his eyes," Ulquiorra's gaze flickered Tesra's way for a moment, "is less auspicious."

"She was a Taichou and Ggio ain't half bad for a Numeros. He's not up to par with us of course, but he ain't no pathetic wimp either. I half suspect he's naturally born too, because I've never seen his hole. Have you?"

Tesra had often wondered if he wasn't the only pureblooded naturally born Hollow amongst the Arrancar. He had never dared to approach Ggio to ask though. Potential enemies simply did not share that kind of dangerous information. Barragan's taste for young, feminine-looking males was a poorly kept secret amongst the Numeros and he didn't want to give the Second any reason to start looking at him. There was no guarantee that Nnoitra would have protected him and might have even traded him off. Still, the thought of talking to another with a heritage similar to his was a serious temptation.

"What do you think?" It took a moment for Tesra to realize Grimmjow had spoken to him.

"Perhaps," he said slowly and thought about what he knew of Barragan and his reputation amongst the lower ranks, "Barragan-sama is less upset over the lineage, so much as having the affections of one of his subjects… not centered on him," he offered his theory hesitantly, unsure if he'd be laughed at or taken seriously.

"Expound on your observation," Ulquiorra ordered.

"Well," he licked his lips and wondered if he should even be talking about this in front of his superiors before deciding he didn't have much of a choice, "…when we were still stationed in Hueco Mundo, before Aizen-Kami joined us, he caught one of his former fraccion courting another. He disposed of them both and he seemed incredibly angry over the affair."

"Now _that_ is pathetic," Grimmjow snorted. "The 'King of Hueco Mundo' can't even keep his own toys interested in him? He must be a terrible… ah, partner…" Grimmjow quickly changed his word as Karin walked into the living room to join them.

"The walls are still standing, I am almost scared to ask what you're all talking about," Karin commented as she sat down on the couch closest to her mate.

"Barragan and why he's so against the brat Ggio's having with _His Majesty__'__s_ female pet," Grimmjow replied. "Tesra here has a good theory going."

"She doesn't belong to Barragan."

Karin's announcement took everyone aback and Tesra wondered how in the hell a human woman would know something like that. Then his memory kicked him a few times and he stared down at his hands before he made a fool of himself.

"I can see Claims, remember?" she explained to the three confused males.

Oh right, she could see _and_ manipulate reiatsu and, as a result, could cast Claims of her own, which he knew from personal experience. He had forgotten about that little fact. He'd kept quiet about it for so long that he'd managed to put it completely out of his mind.

"Ggio stole his Espada's pet. Man, that's just hilarious!" Grimmjow laughed, until his mate shook her head.

"Unless something changed in the first five years before you dragged me to my first Claim Meeting, Barragan has _never_ held her Claim. I noticed it the first time I saw her, but it wasn't until I met Ggio that I realized he was the one holding her, which is odd because he's weaker than she is. She's _far_ more powerful."

"The only way for such to have occurred would be for him to have done so while she was weakened and then to maintain it regularly," Ulquiorra noted.

"Means he's probably been doing her like clockwork since we won the Winter War. Heh. Barragan has only himself to blame for her getting knocked up, if he was the one ordering his fraccion to keep screwing her," Grimmjow scoffed.

"What makes you believe Barragan is ordering Ggio to do so?" Ulquiorra replied, and not in a way that made it sound as if he questioned Grimmjow's intelligence. Instead, it sounded as if Ulquiorra wanted Grimmjow to explain his reasoning.

"Why else would be bring his fraccion's pet to the Claim Meetings as if she was his own? We all know his sexual preferences. I guarantee you he probably has Ggio holding her so he doesn't have to degrade himself on her tainted female body."

Ulquiorra seemed to ponder that before given a reluctant nod of his head. "You may be correct in your assumption."

Tesra stared at Ulquiorra in surprise. He might not be on friendly terms with the other Espada, but everyone knew the basics, and Ulquiorra conceding to one of Grimmjow's points was definitely not a behaviour any of the Numeros, be they a Fraccion or not, had ever documented. More so, Grimmjow didn't make an issue of scoring some imaginary point and Karin sent her mate a small smile, probably a reward for doing so.

"What brought you two around to discussing such gossip anyway?" Karin asked.

Ulquiorra looked instantly affronted at the very idea that they had been gossiping while Grimmjow hesitated over the answer. Tesra wondered if the evening was going to get any more surreal that it already had.

The answer was a resounding 'YES'.

A loud explosion saved the Sixth Espada from coming up with an excuse or an answer.

Before anyone could move to see what caused the ruckus, Ajuga and Diaemus stumbled into the house, both of them smoking with singed fur where they had it, covered in soot, and coughing slightly

"What happened?" Karin asked before anyone else could.

Orihime rushed to her son's side, examining him for injuries while he protested weakly and tried to get her to stop. Ajuga, who had been the first to recover, had a pleased smirk on her face.

"I won the contest!" she announced proudly.

"You are beyond irresponsible!" Diaemus spat at her, and then coughed out a lungful of gray air.

"Eh, I won, fair's fair and all that," she shrugged, brushing off her fur.

"Ajuga Jaegerjaquez…" Karin said dangerously.

The effect was instant. Ajuga froze and all signs of merriment on the girls' face vanished, replaced with a healthy dose of fear. Karin's voice even rattled Tesra for a moment.

"What happened?" her mother demanded, hands on her hips.

"Umm," Ajuga looked suddenly nervous as all eyes were on her. "We were having a contest and I won," she answered sheepishly.

"Ajuga," Karin's voice dropped an octave and sounded more threatening than Nnoitra did when he was pissed.

Tesra, for his part, started eyeing the window. Just in case. He caught Grimmjow doing the same thing, so he didn't feel too bad about it.

"Fine, we were seeing who could make a bigger Cero ball and maintain it for the longest," Ajuga finally confessed.

"Cero?" Karin asked confused.

Grimmjow instantly lost interest in the window and interjected himself into the conversation, rising to his feet as Karin just stared at her daughter in shock. "Where on earth did you get an idea to start playing with those?" he snapped.

"Diaemus," Ajuga shamelessly passed the blame. "The entire contest was his idea," she added for good measure.

Now Diaemus had a look of embarrassment and his own gaze dropped to his clawed, almost birdlike feet.

"Diaemus?" Ulquiorra sent his son a stern look. "Did I not inform you that you were not to practice or use a Cero unsupervised?"

"Yes, Otou-san," he muttered.

"You taught him how to play with a Cero?" Grimmjow asked and his jaw dropped. Ulquiorra glanced at the Sixth and then fixed his green eyes on his son.

"Until now, he displayed the proper discipline to be trusted with such a power. Perhaps I was mistaken."

Diaemus' entire posture drooped and water pooled at the corners of his eyes.

"Go to your room and think about what you have done," Ulquiorra ordered his son.

"Yes, Otou-san,"

Orihime looked worriedly after her son as he obeyed, but Ulquiorra caught her eyes and she let go of any protests she might have had.

"And as for you, since I know you probably instigated the whole thing, you can go sit on the front steps and stay there until after dinner," Grimmjow ordered sternly.

"What?" Ajuga protested, shocked she was being punished, and by her _father_ of all people.

"Now!" he ordered firmly.

Scowling, she marched out the front door.

"You slam that door and I _will_ tan your hide," Grimmjow added, clearly reading her intent in her posture.

Ajuga scowled, but closed the door properly. Grimmjow sent Karin a look and she nodded her head, indicating Ajuga was doing as ordered. There was a tense silence in the room for a moment before Grimmjow was the first to break and start laughing, although not so loudly the two children could hear.

"A Cero? Seriously Ulquiorra, you taught him _that_?"

"Mmm… I love it when you are a good father," Karin purred as she pulled her mate back down onto the couch and settled into his lap facing him so she could give him a solid kiss.

"They aren't hurt, are they?"

Orihime's eyes had followed her son down the hall and the worry in her voice was clear.

"The only thing singed is their collective pride, and maybe a bit of fur." Tatsuki answered her friend while moving over to sit in Tesra's lap as well.

Tesra breathed a bit easier as the friction drained from the room and the adults could finally see the humour in the situation. It also helped to have his hands occupied with a lapful of mate. It _was_ funny when he thought about it. What surprised him the most though, was that he had expected the two Espada to defend their children and start at one another over which child was more at fault, not to discipline them both and send them to an obvious 'time out'.

Orihime, being the only one still standing, poked her head out the back door and let out a gasp of dismay before sighing and making a comment along the lines of 'well, the backyard needed re-landscaping anyway' and 'I've always wanted a swimming pool.' She rejoined them in the living room and informed the assembled guests that supper would be ready in a couple of minutes.

The rest of the evening passed calmly and the conversation never seemed strained. Both fathers permitted their respective children to join them at the table halfway through dinner and the culprits ate in reproachful silence, eyes glued to their plates. By the time the 'dinner party' wrapped up, a sickle-shaped moon had climbed high in the night sky. Tatsuki had clearly had a good time, her eyes sparkling in delight, as had Orihime's when he thought about it.

They walked down the street with Tatsuki leaning against him with a small smile on her face. It hadn't been as uncomfortable of an evening as he had thought it would be. In fact, it had almost been…pleasant. Tatsuki suddenly chuckled and he glanced down at her, wondering what she found humorous.

"Sorry, just thinking about Ajuga and Diaemus remodelling the back yard," she explained. "Those two certainly know how to push each other's buttons."

"They do," he agreed, though he didn't understand the whole 'button' reference. Tesra decided that it must be a Living World thing and let it go.

"Kami, could you imagine Nnoitra and Rangiku raising kids? I think they would pull their hair out by the end of the first year!" she laughed.

Tesra tried to imagine Nnoitra with offspring, but conceded that he would probably just end up being the one put in charge of any cub his Espada sired, much the way that Szayel had assigned his tattooed, red-haired pet to care for his twins. He _could_ picture Rangiku taking care of the cub some of the time, but the moment a dirty diaper came up he just knew that she would be calling for him. He switched the image to himself and Tatsuki instead. That was far more satisfying and they continued the walk home in silence.

* * *

*Checks for still hidden pitchforks and sniper rifles.

I enjoyed reading all of your responses to last weeks' question. Well, here is some more mild humour and lovy dovy stuff to wash the rest of that foul taste out. I hope you enjoyed this rather domestic, and amusing, chapter.

Ymir: Yes they could, but it would be difficult. He abundance of m/m is usually not my style, but the The Real King is a gift fict and there are just not enough female characters, let alone interesting one, in Bleach to really work with. In POV, none of the m/m is actually consensual, although you could argue Starrk/Jushiro is semi since Starrk is not actively forcing Jushiro and they are only maintaining the claim due to Aizen's law. As for seeing such things, unfortunately I must say no as there is enough going on already without introducing needless OC's.

Teresa: I am sure there may be a few, but it is not important to the story line and, again, I don't want to create too many needless OC's. By the time she came into their midst they were all pretty brow beaten and just going through the motions. She has done a lot to boost their moral and bring them back up. She is also Ichigo's sister and they know it. That kind of gives her a free pass.

This Weeks Question: What do you think of all of these new Quincy characters? Seeing as how they are ranked on the Alphabet, I fear there may be 26 of them. I, personally, am hardly amused and couldn't care less at this point. One or two of them seem semi interesting, but I just can't bring myself to care about the rest, or even downright despise them already.

Next Chapter: Ajuga complains to Harrible about her father actually coming down on her, THE HORROR! We also see a bit of Barragan's household and we learn a bit of Yumichika's past, as well as see the three plot how to deal with the up coming cub and seeing to its safety from Barragan.


	18. Fraccion

Fraccion

Ajuga could not believe this. Not only had her parents sent her to bed the moment they arrived home, but her father also informed her the following morning, in no uncertain terms, that if she was going to be playing with a power with which she might accidentally kill her friends and family with, she was damn well going to learn how to control it.

She had to admit she had never thought about that and the thought of killing Hana thanks to a wild Cero had been enough for her to agree never to play with such power again in a populated area. Her father had led her far, far out of town to a clearing not cut by natural means. There, to her shock, they had met up with Diaemus and Ulquiorra.

With a simple 'make sure she comes home alive or Karin will kick my ass,' he left her there. Now she stared at a tree stump with a smug Diaemus standing beside her as they fired low-level beams of red light towards their target. Diaemus had managed to hit his target dead on every time. She, on the other hand, was still struggling with trying to comprehend what it was Ulquiorra was trying to explain to her.

She could make a nice-sized Cero that destroyed her target, when she managed to hit it, but that didn't seem good enough for Ulquiorra. He wanted her to make a smaller one by better controlling her energy, and for the life of her, she just couldn't get it. She could tell by the way his right eye began to twitch that he was growing just as frustrated with her lack of understanding as she was.

It was a miserable day, and the ones following it only got worse. Apparently, since she had such a talent for getting into trouble, her father had decided to punish her by making sure she didn't have a single moment to herself. It was hell! Her father had _always_ been on her side, and now he was the one sternly ordering her about. It wasn't fair, which was exactly what lead her to a conversation seven agonizing days later as she walked with Hana down the streets towards the large house Harribel had taken after the War.

"Sorry, Ajuga-chan, you'll get no sympathy from me," her friend said, a little exasperated. "I have been busy myself between work with my Division and the extra studies Sensei keeps giving me. Do _you_ have the latest kanji done for Sensei yet?" Hana asked curiously.

'Sensei' was the scholar Byakuya arranged to teach them when they were cubs. That arrangement hadn't ended when they'd grown older, although Sensei was far closer to Hana than he was with her.

"Yeah, the papers are in my room," Ajuga answered with a scowl, "…and stop trying to change the subject. Something needs to be done about this before I lose my mind!" Ajuga cried out loudly in frustration as they walked up the steps leading to the front door.

The door opened before they could knock to reveal Sung Sun, a sleeve covering her face as usual. Ajuga frequently wondered if it was because she was scared of catching a disease or something, or if she really was just that bashful. She couldn't imagine any Arrancar worth their salt being too shy to talk to others.

"My, you seem to be having a bad day Ajuga-chan?" she observed as she greeted them, her lavender eyes blinking.

"You have no idea!" Ajuga huffed as she marched into the house.

"I have been trying not to laugh," Hana added, more to Sung Sun than to Ajuga as she also stepped into the house and gave the fraccion a small bow.

"Some friend you are!" Ajuga snapped irritably.

Sung Sun let out a little laugh as she watched the two bicker for a moment.

"Harribel-sama is waiting for us on the patio out back," she informed them.

Both girls followed the slender, dark-haired Arrancar as she gracefully moved through the house, leading them towards the central court, sniping at one another all the while. Sung Sun was right; Harribel waited for them on the back porch, sitting in a sunny spot with a nice view of the ice-rimmed pond. A pot of tea steamed in the cold air and several platters of snacks waited on the low table. Mila Rose and Apache didn't seem to be home but Sung Sun joined them at the table, picking out a cushion and settling down fluidly.

"You seem out of sorts about something Ajuga," Harribel noted as the two girls found cushions of their own.

"You have no idea!" Ajuga pouted as she reached for a snack. Sung Sun, meanwhile, poured tea for the table.

"She's upset because she got in trouble and now has to have Cero lessons with Ulquiorra-sama." Hana chuckled, clearly enjoying her friend's plight.

"Ulquiorra-sama?" Sung Sun asked suddenly, teapot poised in mid-air.

"How did this come to pass?" There was no mistaking the curiosity in Harribel's voice as she folded her arms across her breast and waited for Ajuga to continue.

With what seemed to be the world's largest chip on her shoulder, Ajuga informed the table what had happened and how she was now stuck in these stupid lessons and how 'it was unfair that her _father_ of all people had suddenly 'restricted all of her freedom.' Sung Sun giggled softly behind her sleeve while Harribel's eyes danced like ocean waves at the young hybrid's plight, although both of her eyebrows had gone up when she learned that Grimmjow had been the one to put his foot down and not Karin, whose fierce reputation had made a name for itself amongst the Arrancar. Anyone who could tame the Aspect of Destruction was someone to respect, if not outright fear.

"I see," Harribel said at the end of Ajuga's tale of woe. "From what you've described, the issue is that you do not see the rationale behind using a smaller attack, correct?"

"Well, yeah, that is part of it," Ajuga confessed.

Hana looked ready to open her mouth, but Harribel shot the girl a quick look that seemed to warn Hana to stay silent, so she closed it again. Ajuga gave the Espada a look of confusion and Harribel sighed, setting her teacup down.

"Perhaps what you require is visual aid. Hana, Sung Sun, come with me for a moment."

Both of them followed Harribel out onto a bare patch of dead winter grass and stopped close to the large pond. They nodded as they listen to Harribel's instructions and stepped in closer together. Harribel returned to Ajuga's side and swung her hand around, as if presenting some kind of play to the young hybrid girl.

"Imagine this, Ajuga. Your friend Hana is engaged with an enemy soldier…" Harribel began, "…or perhaps, a persistent member of the Swarm."

Sung Sun and Hana moved closer together and grasped hands, as if they were grappling.

"Your friend takes an injury and falls to the ground, unable to move. Perhaps her injuries are such that she loses consciousness and cannot move on her own."

"Oh, my leg, I have been mortally wounded. At such a young age too!" Hana cried out melodramatically and fell down in a heap at Sung Sun's feet.

The fraccion was having a difficult time holding back her laughter and even Harribel seemed entertained for a second before she cleared her throat. The two 'combatants' immediately sobered up, if only for a short while.

"Now her opponent stands over her, poised to deliver the finishing blow, but you are engaged with a different opponent," Harribel took one of her hands in a firm but gentle grip and Ajuga swallowed as those sea-green eyes bored into hers.

"Alas, prepare to be slain, foul fiend," Sung Sun intoned in her soft voice, playing along with the drama and giggling at the end.

"I smell perfectly fine, thank you!" Hana countered from her place on the ground.

"So tell me, Ajuga-chan, how do you save her now?" Harribel asked casually, eyes never leaving the young hybrid's face.

Ajuga tried to break the hold on her wrist, but she might as well have been trying to move a mountain. The Espada made an amused noise, as if she'd expected the girl to try to escape first.

"I told you Ajuga-chan, you are engaged and your opponent is not going to let you get past them," Harribel reminded her. "Time is not on your side in this case either, I will add."

Cursing in frustration, she started charging a Cero, but stopped. A Cero of this strength would hurt Hana. It might even kill her, as her Shinigami friend didn't have a Heirro as she did. Ajuga's aim was hardly something to brag about right now.

"I get it," Ajuga finally admitted as she let the budding Cero flicker and die. "Why didn't Ulquiorra just explain it like this in the first place? All he kept going on about was that I have to learn to make them smaller and gain better control. He could have saved us both the headache if he just put it down straight," she grouched, scowling, ears flattened.

Harribel relinquished her wrist and Ajuga pulled it back instinctively. The girl got the impression that if the Third had really wanted to attack her and keep her busy while she tried to hypothetically save Hana, she would be decorating the back yard and not in a good way.

The Espada made a small noise and closed her eyes, then shook her head.

"Ulquiorra, for all that he has changed for the better these past years, is still… sparse with both his words and his instruction points. There are many ways to teach a particular lesson. It would appear you are a visual learner, rather than one who sticks to theory."

"Can I get up now?" Hana asked from her spot on the lawn. Harribel nodded and motioned for them to return to the table. Sung Sun helped the girl up. As they got comfortable again, the girl announced, "Well, now that Ajuga-chan's fur is no longer in a tangle, I have my own issue to bring up."

"Are there more rumours spreading around about you getting it on with Toshiro and that's why you spend so much time in his office and at his house?" Ajuga asked curiously, her tone teasing.

Hana glared at her.

"Yes, that stupidity is still going on, but that's not what I was going to say," the girl sighed. "I've been thinking about it for a while, and, Harribel-sama, we've gotten to know each other well over the last month, so, if you feel like you can stand having me around, I would like to officially accept a position as one of your fraccion," Hana declared with a small, nervous smile.

"It is done then," Harribel declared and took a sip of her tea. Sung Sun greeted her new companion with no small amount of delight in her eyes.

"Welcome! It will be nice to have someone calmer around and capable of holding a conversation without resorting to screaming!"

"As we agreed upon earlier, I do not expect you to change your schedule. However, as one of my fraccion you may be required to attend some meetings and to accompany me into battle. As Toshiro is your Taichou, and he is mine, that should not be an issue."

Hana nodded her head in understanding.

"Have you considered my offer, Ajuga?" Harribel asked the other girl at the table. Ajuga sighed and scratched the back of her neck.

"Sorry, I like my independence, when my father isn't riding me."

"Funny, how 'Papa' became 'Father' just because she got into trouble," Hana remarked to Sung Sun, who giggled.

"Shove it," Ajuga shot back. "Or I'll tell Szay that you decided to volunteer for that Shinigami vs. Hollow Virus sample experiment he tried to convince us to undergo after all."

"He couldn't do it even if we volunteered," Hana retorted, and rolled her eyes at the threat. "You know Szay has strict orders not to do anything like that."

"Oh I am sure Szay could find a way around his orders. He's good at that."

"I am not so sure. Your mother ordered him to adhere to the Code of Ethics, and Unohana-Taichou wrote that book," Hana replied smugly.

"Huh, that's true," Ajuga relented. "He certainly snarked about it enough when Mama gave him the order to follow it as it was written, with none of his 'well I interpreted it this way' nonsense."

"I must admit, it took almost all of us by surprise when Szayel-sama announced that he was now Karin's pet," Sung Sun acknowledged.

They spent the rest of the afternoon eating treats, drinking tea, and chatting. Mila Rose and Apache returned at one point and joined them. There wasn't an actual garden, but somehow the event reminded Ajuga of sitting on the porch in one of the Kuchiki Estate gardens with Byakuya while he showed her a different Kanji. She hadn't seen him since his release from the 4th Division.

She made a mental note to try and find the time to see how he was recovering, assuming, of course, that she could weasel in a few minutes to herself. She had only managed to snag this free time because she had promised not to leave Hana's side and because her father knew that Harribel wouldn't entertain nonsense.

'_Stupid Father! Mama has him totally leashed and collared,__'_ she grumbled to herself. '_The only way I am going to get out of this mess is to, ugh, apologize to Mama for goading Diaemus on.__'_

(POV)

Ggio winced in pain as he slowly lowered himself into the hot spring Yumichika had shown him hidden in the back of the estate. His rear smarted and he was definitely going to have bruises come morning. It would seem a new fetish was quickly spreading and he had no idea where Barragan had suddenly gotten these new sexual ideas, although the trail seemed to lead squarely to Yammy Llargo as the culprit. The Tenth had decked his pet out in leather, straps and Kami only knew what other insane devices. When had Barragan taken a sudden interest in this thing called 'poker' anyhow? Yumichika at least knew the game and had been able to teach him at the last minute when they had been summoned to attend the game Barragan hosted.

"Itai!" he hissed as the water reached the claw marks on his lower back from Barragan's nails. He forced himself to keep going until he was up to his neck in the hot water, regardless of how much his shredded shoulders and back felt.

'_At least after Aizen-Kami__'__s little demonstration with Yammy-sama about what he did to people who put the warriors under their control out of commission, Barragan-sama has been less brutal with me,__'_ he sighed.

After word of that had gotten around a lot of Arrancar were suddenly treating their pets a bit more delicately, not that the cases of abuse were as rampant as they had once been. When word had gone out that it was possible to breed outside of their own race, the first fallout had been a large number of the Shinigami slaves spending a hell of a lot more time on their hands and knees (only mates had sex face to face or, very rarely, if there was mutual agreement). When word spread that stress more or less held the key to success, well, suddenly there were a lot less pets limping around and several suddenly found themselves with doting Masters. The poor Shinigami slaves had no idea why things had changed and why their Masters had suddenly gone from sexually driven abusers to gentle owners. Not all cases ended this way of course, some were still just as cruel to their pets as before, but after that display with Yammy even they had curbed their hands a bit.

"I have to admit, there was _almost_ something erotic about that display," Yumichika chuckled as the former Shinigami shed his elaborate robs and joined him in the hot spring.

"There was _nothing_ erotic about it," Ggio sulked as he rested against the edge of the pool, stomach first to keep his wounded back and smarting rear pressure free. "How do you handle this so easily, Yumichika?" he asked softly.

"Experience and training," Yumichika replied, after a minute or two of hesitation.

Ggio flinched as he felt a damp cloth touch the edge of one of the claw marks on his back, but held still as Yumichika tended to them. He couldn't help but wonder if the others who had once been Barragan's attendants, his former fellow fraccion, had done the same for each other. It was still a little hard to swallow, to understand and realize that they had kept him safe over the years, and it hurt to think that he had resented them for it. He wished he had a chance to apologize to them, but that was impossible, as they were all dead, all but him.

"It may sound cruel and selfish, but I am glad you're here Yumichika," he sighed. "I don't think I could handle this alone, and I don't think anyone else would be able to handle it the way you are."

Yumichika sighed and sat down beside him, tipping his head back so he could gaze up at the stars. Unlike Ggio, he hadn't spent any time lying across Barragan's lap while the Espada took great pleasure in beating (Yumichika would hardly call it a spanking) his pet's rear until it was bright cherry red. He was already beginning to bruise from it.

"I understand what you are trying to say," the Shinigami assured him.

Silence settled between them for a moment, broken only by the sound of the water moving around them and the light rustle of the breeze in the bare branches overhead.

"I thought I would never find myself in a position like this again. I thought I had escaped this shit when I met Ikakku," Yumichika said quietly and Ggio caught the slight catch of emotion in his companion's usually controlled voice.

Loud rustling alerted them to the presence of a newcomer to their private retreat, both of them going tense until the intruder stepped into the moonlit little clearing. Then they relaxed as Soi Fon joined them. Unable to speak, she had deliberately made noise to let them know of her presence before just stepping out into the clearing. It was unwise to startled highly trained warriors, even if both of their Zanpakuto were back in their respective rooms.

"Soi Fon," Yumichika greeted her with a smile.

She gave him a nod of her head in greeting before settling down at the edge of the pool beside Ggio, reaching a hand out to rest on one of his. No one felt uncomfortable with the nudity; they had all been broken of that long ago. Each of them knew the other's body intimately. Barragan had made certain of that, although The Second had never forced Yumichika to sleep with Soi Fon.

Ggio answered her unspoken question.

"I am fine. How are you feeling?" he asked, far more concerned with her wellbeing.

She carried his first, and if Barragan had anything to say about, only child and worry for her safety and health had become his constant companion.

She patted his hand and gave him a small smile, indicating she was fine. She was really showing now and was easily half way through her pregnancy. In fact, Szayel predicted her term would run even shorter than Karin's pregnancy had, although not by too much.

"You should not be out in this cold weather, especially wearing only that," he admonished.

She was wearing the simple, plain white yukata Barragan had ordered her to remain in as well as a scarf, a gift from Ggio ages ago. She didn't wear it very often and if Yumichika were to pick a point where Barragan began to notice his fraccion's attention wavering, it would be the moment the Espada had noticed her wearing it. The Second had summoned them to serve him right after a long and tedious meeting and she hadn't had a chance to put it away. That had been an unpleasant evening, especially for Ggio when he had been the one to confess giving it to her. It was one of the more violent times Barragan had used him to punish his fraccion.

"If it's not prying, could you tell me what it was like living out there?" Ggio asked.

Yumichika sighed and closed his eyes. Ggio kept quiet and Soi Fon sat still as they watched him. No doubt, she was curious too. He supposed her ability to listen was a holdover from once leading an organization whose entire purpose was the gathering of information and assassination.

"It was hell. Those with the power took what they wanted, those who didn't have it found different ways to survive. They became slaves to those that had it, or died in many brutal ways. I am not talking about physical power either. Much of the 'power' out there took the form of water, food, and money. Strength was definitely an asset, but the ones with the real power were those that had control over the resources."

"I don't remember if I was born here or if I passed over when I was younger. A group did take me in, but nothing is free in the 79th District. Everyone had to earn his or her keep. When I was old enough, they trained me as a prostitute. They said I had the beauty to get the good clients, the ones that paid well and were not too rough. They showed me everything I would need to know to please a woman, and everything I would need to know to please a man as there really were not that many powerful women out there."

"Confidence was key, a false front to let everyone know I was not some cheap two-bit whore, but out there, without formal martial training, that didn't always work. There were times when I knew that I was cornered, and the only defence I had was bowing my head and spreading my legs, hoping the damage wouldn't be bad when it was over, to grit my teeth and bear with it.

"It was during one such encounter that I met Ikakku."

Yumichika couldn't help but grin at the memory. "He actually thought I was a girl and that he was saving some street tart, hopefully one that would repay the favour with a meal and a romp. I offered him both, naturally, but he firmly informed me he wasn't into screwing men, even one that was as pretty as I was. He enjoyed the food though. We crossed paths several times over the years after that, mostly because he knew I'd serve him a decent meal. There were a few times that he stepped in when someone thought he could just take what he wanted from me. It was after another such altercation like that that he commented, and I quote 'not that I don't like getting a free meal out of your pretty ass, but why the hell ain't you putting these pieces of trash down yourself?'

"I informed him I had no combat training, he decided to fix that. Before long, I had no time to work, as he set a strong training regimen. Instead of wandering the streets whoring myself out, I ended up following him, learning how to stand up and defend myself, tending to his wounds and all the while making sure our meals were edible. Ikakku was a dreadful cook…" he laughed quietly. "He would have expired from eating his own meals if I hadn't come along."

Soi Fon pulled out her chalkboard and wrote out a message before turning it around so they could read it.

'Is that why you are so obsessed with beauty, because it became a weapon and a defence for you out there?'

"That's one reason," he agreed. "But truly, when one is as gorgeous as I am, would it not be a crime to let it go to waste?" he asked and fluttered his lashes at her.

Soi Fon rolled her eyes and bopped him over the head with her chalkboard while Ggio shook his head. This was definitely better, much more enjoyable than the old days where he had held his two fellow suffering comrades in contempt and viewed them as beneath him. He had even taunted Soi Fon for a while; their battle contained a healthy dose of egotism on both parts. Now, they shared some common bonds, one beaten into them from the Master they served and the other...

Soi Fon suddenly froze and then grasped each of their hands and pulled them to rest on her swelling stomach. It took another moment, but there was definitely a flutter of movement. Yumichika all but cooed at her belly and Ggio gasped.

That was his cub, his offspring. He felt a fierce wellspring of protectiveness rise up in him, followed quickly by despair. Barragan had made it clear he had no plans on keeping the cub, of seeing to its demise. Their master was doing everything he could to get around Aizen's orders to see to it the cub was never born. They had taken to smuggling food in for her to make sure that she kept her strength up as the staff had been ordered that she was not to be fed from the Estate's pantry. Soi Fon had no money of her own, what little she had managed to salvage from her slavery had long since been spent in the last fifteen years.

He had to do something to protect his cub, to see to its survival. Maybe he could get one of the others to care for it. Soi Fon had mentioned that several of the other Espada had seemed sickened by Barragan's callous disregard for the unborn child during the recent Claim meeting. However, who could he ask, who did he dare approach for help, should he manage to suppress his instincts long enough when it was born to let it go? It wasn't as if he could just walk up to one of the other Espada and beg them for assistance. If he was seen talking to them, Barragan would probably figure out he had something planned. After all, what reason would a mere fraccion have to speak to an Espada he didn't serve?

His cub would need a stable place to live, somewhere where it will be safe and not instantly Claimed for future breeding purposes, especially if it was female. Whom could he possibly trust who would understand the trials and tribulations of a naturally born Hollow and who would have no interest in taking his child as a potential mate?

"Well, we should probably get out before we all look like prunes," Yumichika sighed, rising from the water and accepting the towel Soi Fon handed him.

"Yeah," Ggio agreed, standing as well and watching as the water flowed down his smooth chest and stomach, something only five other Hollows he could think of had; Nnoitra, Szayel, Nelliel, Harribel and Tesra. Three Espada, one former Espada who was gone for good and one…

Ggio froze. He had completely forgotten about his fellow, _mated_ fraccion. He racked his brain, trying to think if Tesra's hole was in an odd spot before concluding, thanks to having seen him in his Resurrección once, that he didn't have one, or at least, not a noticeable one. Harribel was like that, as was Szayel, but clothing might obscure Szayel's hole. There wasn't enough clothing on the Third's body in her Resurrección form, but that didn't necessarily mean she was naturally born either. If Tesra didn't have one, then were the stories true? Was Tesra the same as he? There was a chance. He also had a mate. Tesra wasn't 'mated' in the traditional sense but she _was_ human and therefore would be no threat to his cub. In fact, from what he had observed, she was completely comfortable with Ajuga and Diaemus, even protective of them.

"What is it?" Yumichika asked. The Shinigami seemed concerned with his silence and the fact he hadn't moved from the hot spring.

"Nothing, but possibly everything," he answered as he numbly accepted a towel from Soi Fon. "I need to think about this, and I don't want to get our hopes up, but…" he paused to smile at them, "I may have just thought of a safe place to put the cub when it's born."

Both of them looked at him expectantly, and he hoped that this would work, that everything would fall into place. Tesra was a fraccion; he belonged to Nnoitra, which meant anything Tesra owned also belonged to Nnoitra. Aizen forbade his Espada from interfering with each other's fraccion. If he could get the cub to Tesra and his mate before Barragan could get to it, and they agreed to adopt the cub (a rare, but not unheard of arrangement) then the cub would be safe, at least for a while.

(TIME)

Ggio walked quickly down the streets, tracking the reiatsu he had latched onto. It wasn't hard, for it would seem his target wasn't moving. He hit one snag, however, when he realized that his target was at his Master's house. He envied Tesra, having a den of his own. Barragan forbade it, wanting his toys and servants close at hand. Nnoitra was far more independent. It didn't seem like Nnoitra was there presently, but he did not want word getting around that he had been seen at the Fifth's home, nor did he want to aggravate the notoriously short-tempered Espada by intruding on his property.

Cursing to himself, he carried on past the place, not even slowing down. He hoped that his target wouldn't be there too long, as he had to be back by evening so he could bend over and take it up the rear, probably unprepared again, so his Majesty would be pleased. He regretted his blind loyalty to the so-called 'King' now and wished he had better studied the Espada who had propositioned him before foolishly agreeing to the post. It wasn't as if he'd had much choice in the matter. When an Espada walked up to you and declared you theirs, the matter tended to settle in their favour.

He almost sighed in relief when he felt Tesra and his mate leave the Fifth's house. Ggio discreetly followed them down the street and to their den. He had to hurry to catch up to them as they reached the stone fence that surrounded the house's yard.

"Tesra, may I please speak to you?" he called out, before they could disappear and he lost his chance.

The other Arrancar and his mate, whose name he couldn't recall, stopped and turned to look at him. Tesra appeared confused and by her body language, the human woman seemed apprehensive about his presence.

"Of course, Vega-san, what is it?" Tesra asked.

"I would… rather not talk about it out here."

The Fifth's fraccion stood there for a moment, as if he was considering whether to allow Ggio into his den, before inviting him in. The house was small, with only one bedroom, but it was very clean and quaint. Something about it, maybe its simplicity, helped to settle Ggio's nerves. Tesra led him into the small combined kitchen and dining room. He and the woman sat at the table while Tesra went about making a pot of tea.

"I don't think we have ever been formally introduced, despite having seen each other around. I am Tatsuki Lindocruz," Tesra's mate said, by way of introduction. He was not surprised to discover she had adapted her Mate's name, which confirmed to him that the two were a fully Mated couple, even if no Mating Claim existed between them.

"Ggio Vega," he returned the greeting.

"It is a pleasure to meet you."

Tatsuki paused and then pushed her chair back, as if to get up.

"I can tell something is bothering you, and while Tesra and I keep no secrets from each other, especially ones that involve us both, if it will make you more comfortable I can always go visit Karin-chan or Orihime-chan for a while," she offered. "I will not be offended if you want to kick me out."

"No, that's alright," he found himself saying before he had time to think about it. Her offer and insight truly surprised him.

The friendship he had formed with Yumichika and the (dare he think it) love he shared with Soi Fon had beaten any feelings of racial superiority out of him. Besides, this would affect her and he wanted to get a read on the woman in whose care he hoped he could leave his cub.

Tesra set the teapot and three cups down before joining them.

"What is it Ggio? It is not like you to seek me out." Tesra asked.

"I know. I…"

He had rehearsed so many speeches, thought up a dozen different ways to bring about such a delicate subject, and all of them sounded either stupid or offensive. "Forgive my bluntness and rudeness here, but I need to know, before going any further with my request…" Ggio took a deep breath, and took a gamble. "Are you, like me, a naturally-born Hollow, Tesra?"

Tesra stared at him in shock, perhaps not so much at the question, but at Ggio's revelation. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow, but said nothing as her mate struggled to decide how to answer such a personal and sensitive question.

"Yes," Tesra hesitantly admitted. "But I fail to see why that would be of interest to you, or even Barragan-sama for that matter. He cannot move against me, not as long as I belong to Nnoitra-sama. Unless…. is Barragan-sama threatening Nnoitra-sama?"

Tesra's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No," Ggio was quick to assure him. "This has nothing to do with Barragan-sama… well, it sort of does. Damn it…" Ggio hissed, cradling his mug of hot tea in his hand and staring at it as he desperately tried to get his jumbled thoughts back in order. This was definitely not going how he had visualized it.

A hand suddenly covered his trembling ones and he looked up at Tesra's mate in surprise. Unlike Tesra, she seemed less agitated, and that took skill. Of course, the only thing that _could_ rile Tesra up was anything to do with Nnoitra-sama, especially if it was a threat.

"Ggio, what is it you are here for?" she asked with a warm, encouraging smile.

"I was hoping…" and here he felt the tears prick his eyes and viscously tried to blink them back.

"Hoping?" Tatsuki pressed him, trying to get him to finish his sentence.

"My cub, Barragan doesn't want us to keep it…. has threatened to kill it once it is born and determined to be of no use to Aizen-Kami. He's been trying to force Soi Fon to miscarry in any way he can that doesn't directly disobey Kami-sama."

The mug in his hand cracked as he clenched it tightly. The very idea that his cub was threatened set his hackles up. Unfortunately, he could do to nothing to stop it. It left him feeling like a captive lion, trapped in a space so small the bars of his cage rubbed against his skin no matter which way he laid.

"You want us to adopt your cub?" Tesra guessed, leaning forward.

Unable to speak, Ggio nodded his head. It was no easy task, offering up his offspring to another couple. The very idea made him bristle, but at least it would be alive and he would be able to see it from time to time. It would be safe and he could tell that these two would care for it in a loving manner.

"Tatsuki?"

The human woman sighed as she got up from the table, went to one of the cupboards and pulled down another cup. Bringing it back with her, she proceeded to pour a second cup of tea for Ggio, carefully taking the one he'd inadvertently cracked and putting it to the side.

"This whole issue has been eating at a lot of people," Tatsuki admitted, running a finger around the lip of her own cup. "Karin, Orihime, even their mates are sickened over Barragan's reaction to this whole thing, and if something angers Ulquiorra enough for him to mention something about it, then it's pretty bad. I see no reason why we couldn't take the cub into our protection. Doing so would relieve a lot of people and he or she wouldn't lack for protectors."

To Ggio's mind, her last statement lent some credence to the stories going around about the loose coalition of Espada that seemed to be taking shape, with Starrk and Grimmjow's combined household at the center of it all. The odd connections between the formerly isolated households seemed to hinge upon the human women, especially Karin. She owned Szayel and therefore, his small pack of a mate and his two children, plus the tall, inked warrior he'd met four years ago as well. She and Ulquiorra's mate seemed close too. Now it appeared the developing group could draw in Harribel and her girls, as observers had seen Karin's daughter Ajuga and her friend visiting the Third Espada's home of late. What that was about he couldn't really guess, but Harribel had even more power at her disposal than Ulquiorra, with a Claimed Taichou and the Trés Bestias.

Tesra himself still belonged to Nnoitra and he and his mate comprised half of the Fifth's pack, but Tatsuki was also a _de facto_ member of Karin's group of human and Shinigami females, and could petition them for help if needed. Ggio knew that Nnoitra wouldn't care too much about the cub or show a lot of interest in it, since he evidently hadn't done anything to Tesra over the years. He hadn't forced his fraccion to start pumping out cubs with his mate in hopes of producing a potential female to take for himself either. His child would be safe, or as safe as any place could be, in such a large and powerful pack.

Ggio, lost in thought, missed the looks going back and forth a few feet away, as Tesra and his mate had some kind of unspoken exchange going on between them, one that started out with a great deal of uncertainty and ended up with matching expressions of agreement.

"Vega-san?"

Ggio looked up at his fellow fraccion, not realizing he'd begun to chew on his thumbnail while he spoke. He'd nearly bitten it to the quick. Tesra's mate nudged the sandy-haired Arrancar's cup with hers and gave him a reassuring 'well, go on' motion of her chin.

"If you can find a way to get the cub to us, we will take it in," Tesra confirmed.

It was far more than Ggio expected, with none of the hesitation he'd feared. Tesra hadn't even brought up the Espada he served and he wondered about the degree of freedom the Fifth granted his follower. Evidently, a den and a mate wasn't the extent of it. Still, it was a promising start and the rush of gratitude nearly overwhelming. He bowed his head in Tesra's direction.

"Thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," Tesra sighed and frowned. "First, the cub has to be safely born and transferred to us before Barragan-sama can get to it to make a Claim… or…"

…_or destroy it._

Ggio would do everything within his limited power to do just that.

"Of course! Just knowing there is some hope… you're right, it's a huge relief."

"Who knows?" Tatsuki chuckled, turning her cup around in her hands and then taking a sip of the fragrant contents. "Maybe _we_ will get lucky soon and he or she will have a playmate!"

"Let's hope so," Tesra replied and smiled lovingly at his mate, his expression brightening.

Ggio could only pray he was right about this. Against all odds, he had taken a chance and thankfully, found an adoptive home for his cub. Now all they had to do was survive until the cub was born, then get the child to its adoptive family. He desperately hoped everything would go according to his hastily-put-together plan.

* * *

Plans! It is way too damn hot to think, let alone write. Good thing we got over 700 pre written pages. This chapter ended on page 224. Huge hugs for those that took the time to review. I enjoy reading your comments.

Tons of fun: No. Her vocal cords were aged to death. Orihime has never shown the ability to say, make someone younger.

Ymir: I am sure a few such relationships exists. Unfortunately, cannon female characters worth exploring are rather limited in number. This seems to be a problem with MOST of, well, pretty much anything.

Teresa: Until the story is done, which will probably run just as long, if not longer, than POV 1. I have an idea for a fict I would like to do post POV in the same universe, but we will see how things go. There is a pairing I have wanted to try out for a long time and I think the POV universe will work wonderfully for it.

Ziggygebs777: No, they are most certainly not in a North American, legally accepted relationship. It was more of a musing thing than anything. Tatasuki was not really serious about her thoughts. Sadly, such relationships ARE considered normal in some countries and cultures. At this time I am not saying who is going to live and who is going to die at the end, other than Yammy of course. He is soooooo dead, more so because I value my life.

Next Chapter: Karin has a bad run in with the Swarm.

This Week Question: How are you going to get your Bleach fix with a 5 week hiatus?


	19. Emotional Turmoil

Emotional Turmoil

Karin didn't mind fighting. She didn't mind commanding troops, even though it was painful to see the people who had come to rely on her get hurt, or worse, killed. She definitely didn't mind the after-battle mauling Grimmjow always gave her, her core heating up just thinking about the feeling of his body thrusting into her and knowing that she could turn that powerful beast into a mewling kitten. No, what bothered her was the disgusting coating of bug guts covering her, head-to-toe.

Using close combat strategies and fighting techniques, her specialty, resulted in a spray of gore and slime with each cracked and shattered carapace. A lot of it ended up on her. She almost envied the Rukongai militia; those units spent most of these battles manning catapults and ballista, although right now she was tempting to force Szayel to take a trip to the Living World and order him to pick up a few books on things like tanks and rail guns. They would be a much more efficient form of weapon, and far more devastating to the Swarm. Unfortunately, they would also be prime targets for theft. She did not want to think about how much worse Soul Society would become if the citizenry and the ex-Shinigami hiding amongst them got their hands on a few guns, magazines and bombs. Civil war was the last thing they needed right now.

'_Still, something automatic with big shells to deal with the damn Swarm would be a nice addition to our arsenal. I wonder if flamethrowers would work__…'_

Kido definitely seemed to work, at least on the Locusts, and many of the battlefields took on the aroma of burnt and roasting chicken by the time they'd finished. Karin didn't like to think how the smell both repulsed her and managed to make her hungry after hours of fighting.

A loud hissing noise suddenly broke Karin out of her thoughts as she stared up at a large beetle lumbering her way. It paused and shot out a stream of its corrosive acid. Those that failed at moving fast enough screamed and died horribly as the stuff ate through them. The ground steamed and sizzled where it landed. Those caught by the tail of the attack were held down and any affected limbs were removed before the acid could eat its way to a vital part of their bodies. It was a small price to pay for their lives and, if they were lucky, Orihime would be able to replace the missing limbs. Those that got the acid on their torso were given a quick, merciful death to spare them the agony of being eaten alive. That acid was so strong that not even Ulquiorra's impressive, high-speed regeneration couldn't fully nullify it, and they had learned that the hard way.

Karin cursed, her blood surging, as she launched into a Shunpo and appeared above the beetle's head. Merging a large amount of her reiatsu into her fist, she slammed it down upon the juncture where the beetles head met its thorax. The joint shattered under her blow and she grabbed onto the shell as it began to thrash. Thrusting her hand through the break, she fired off bolt after lightning bolt of Kido into the creature's inner workings until it started to roll over and go into death throes.

She launched herself away, cursing as one of the sharp spikes on the flailing thing's leg caught her on the thigh and tore a long, bone-deep gash through her muscle, leaving her leg a bloody mess.

"FUCKING, KAMI, DAMNED, PISS OF SHIT!" she roared as both pain and blood shot down her leg.

She could see down through the cleaved muscle to the yellow bone. Worse, the cut had gone _into_ the bone itself. It hurt like a bloody bitch! She forced herself to concentrate on the pain numbing Kido Unohana had taught her, her body sweating profusely with the strain of dealing with the agony.

"At least the slice is clean," she gritted out through clenched teeth before adding a few choice words she had learned from her mate.

Any distraction during a battle could be the death of a warrior, and Karin was distracted. Her concentration was completely broken and the pain flared back as a Locust came right through the tree she leaned against, pinning her to the ground with mandibles moving at an alarming rate centimetres from her face. Worse, the tree had landed on her slashed leg, effectively pinning her in place.

Her vision went splotchy as the pain overrode her and she fought against unconsciousness. The damn thing's antennas were running all over her body and she let out a small cry of pain as the things mandibles nipped her arm, tasting her blood.

'_Fuck_,'she thought blurrily as the thing suddenly buzzed.

Like a stirred hornets' nest, the Locusts suddenly began to 'swarm' about them, chitterling loudly and instantly blocking her off from the rest of her forces. Then it seemed as if the entire Swarm converged on her location.

The jaws that had nipped her skin lodged into the tree pinning her, as did the mandibles of a dozen other locust as they moved the tree off of her leg. The one who held her adjusted its grip until it clutched her tightly to its abdomen with four of its six legs and took off, moving slowly with its heavy burden.

Karin panicked. It was the all she could manage while barely conscious and pain-ridden. She focused what little mental control she had left onto the Claim she shared with her mate, screaming at him for help. He was so far away though, almost on the other end of the battlefield. Meanwhile, the Swarm buzzed around her in a formation much like a thick ball, using their bodies to protect the bundle in the centre. She could feel Grimmjow racing towards her, but now others were grabbing the one carrying her and increasing the speed in which they traveled as they distributed her weight between them.

Two unexpected explosions left her ears ringing as her entire world suddenly lit up with repetitive red flashes of light. Her vision went black and then abruptly came back accompanied by ringing ears, a migraine and an increase in the amount of pain in her leg.

Then she fell. The smell of burning insect corpses surrounded her for a moment, until her body plummeted past the stench, heading for the ground.

Something literally snatched her as she tumbled and the resulting disorientation made her stomach flip-flop, the upside-down landscape blurring for a brief moment. She wasn't certain how much of that was due to the speed they were traveling or from her injuries. Her rescuer eventually set her as gently on the ground as possible, standing over her protectively. Karin thought she saw a long spear of green light twirling in the person's hands as it fought off the insects trying to get to her. She could hear her mate's infuriated howls somewhere nearby, followed by the sound of raging explosions and the blood-curdling screams as the bugs died.

At first, she thought the one to catch her was Ulquiorra, as she couldn't think of any other Arrancar that had giant bat wings, but even with blurry vision she could tell that the one to have caught her had a halo of long, coppery hair, not black. Another blur, this one almost all white with black hair, joined the other.

"Karin-sama!" a little, feminine voice cried, and she felt small hands quickly latch onto the profusely bleeding wound in her leg, trying to stem the blood flow.

If the blurry white figure hadn't been enough to force Karin back into reality, the call of such a young child definitely did. The Swarm was still buzzing about them, but a sudden deluge of power forced them slowly back. Hovering in such a large, compact formation just made them easier to kill. The air swiftly chilled as a wave of water crashed passed them, chased by a blast of cold that froze everything caught in it. For the moment, they were in the clear, but she could still hear her mate roaring furiously not too far away alongside the sound of battle.

Calming her breathing down, she focused first on the two standing over her worriedly. Fear was the first emotion that gripped her, followed by anger.

"Ajuga and Diaemus!" Karin snapped. "What the hell do you two think you are doing here?"

Ajuga looked at her in surprise while Diaemus suddenly looked like he wanted to be somewhere else.

"Saving you Mama," Ajuga answered, seemingly puzzled by her mother's anger.

Karin forced herself to sit gritting her teeth in agony in her leg slowly became numb thanks to the cream that a third person rubbed onto it. She was so furious right now that the pain soon took a back seat. The adrenaline in her system caused by her near kidnapping didn't help the issue either.

"I ordered you to stay and guard the Research Centre when the battle started. _You_ I can understand being incapable of following orders, Ajuga, but how do you think your father is going to feel about your blatant disregard for the chain of command, _Diaemus_?" Karin shouted.

Diaemus' head dropped in shame, as did his wings. The spear of light in his hand dissolved and he took on the appearance of a kicked puppy.

"Why?" Ajuga cried in frustration. "We can fight better than most of the Shinigami! Why do we have to guard a stupid building that probably has more defences than the Palace? Why can't you trust us to fight too?"

There were tears forming in the corner of her daughter's eyes. "Do you think me so _weak_ mother?"

"I expect you to follow orders, especially during a battle, just like everyone else does, even your father. You could have been killed! And while I _might_ have understood and accepted your desire to act like an immature child and sneak off to join the battle, WHAT THE FUCK POSSESSED YOU TO BRING VINDULA WITH YOU**?!****"** Karin roared.

Vindula, Szayel's daughter, who was tending to her leg the best she could, cringed and instantly looked guilty. Ajuga took a step back herself and her gaze darted to the little Arrancar girl sitting beside her mother.

Karin wanted to scream at her daughter for putting herself in danger, especially with the Swarm in such a frenzied state. However, she put that part of her anger and fear on the back burner for now as none of the three knew about the vulnerability mother and daughter shared. Instead, she let her ire regarding Vindula boil over.

"What if something had happened to her? She has no combat experience! Would you like to go up to Szayel and tell him you killed his daughter with your incompetence? Did you want to deliver her dead, blood-soaked body to Nemu? To explain to Renji why his charge was no longer breathing, to inform Abisara that his sister is dead and gone? Well, do you?!" the woman raged, fingers digging into the dirt below her.

"I am sorry Mama," Ajuga whispered before disappearing into a Sonido, tears streaming down the side of her face.

Karin kept an eye on her just to make sure that Ajuga returned to the city, and not someplace dangerous. Then she turned her furious gaze towards the boy, her tone as cold as the ice around them.

"Take Vindula home, Diaemus and then you can explain to Szayel how his child managed to get into the middle of a dangerous battle while I inform your father how incapable you are of following orders."

"Yes, Karin-sama," he mouthed brokenly.

Vindula had remained silent the entire time, her shoulders shaking softly as she sobbed and scrubbed at her eyes. Oh, how Karin wanted to yell at her too, but she forced her mouth closed for now. The little girl was feeling miserable enough and didn't know better. No doubt her father would deal with her when he found out about this. She didn't want to know what Renji would do. If Szayel were smart, he'd tie down anything breakable.

"Come on Vindula," Diaemus held a hand out to the little girl.

"We just wanted to help," Vindula whispered so quietly Karin almost didn't hear her.

It tore at her, it truly did. It reminded of a time when she had watched her older brother run off to fight, leaving her behind and feeding her lies about what was truly going on. She had wanted to help too, but she had known that all she would have done was to get in Ichigo's way. She forced the stern expression to remain for as long as it took the two to leave, Diaemus simply disappearing from her sight as he moved at speeds that rivalled Starrk in order to get the little girl back to safety.

The ice around her suddenly shattered as Toshiro released his grip on it, filling the air with trillions of ice particles and chilling it completely. Her entire body trembled, and it wasn't from the chilled air either.

Karin lost track of the number of emotions racing through her, from terror to fear, that she felt like she was losing her mind. The Swarm had almost taken her. Her daughter had foolishly put herself in harm's way to prevent that from happening. If the Swarm hadn't suddenly gone into a defensive ball and changed their tactics, they might have found out about her daughter. She might have even been able to handle that stress. After all, her daughter's Heirro was very strong and the likelihood of it was slim, but they had brought Vindula with them, delicate, beautiful little Vindula who had no idea how to defend herself! How could they do that?

She shook with rising, unchecked hysteria and blood loss and was in the process of losing her fight with blood loss when her mate finally caught up to her.

(POV)

The majority of the latest wave of the Swarm was nothing more than a growing pile of shell and wing fragments on the forest floor, leaving the pickings slim. Karin bombarded him with such a dizzying mixture of terror and rage that it left him blindsided. He'd felt nothing like this from her in a very long time. Their Claim let him know she was stationary so she must have escaped from whatever had sent her into the initial, frenzied panic. He didn't think too much of the raging emotions, attributing the anger to nearly being captured.

"Are you alright?" Grimmjow demanded as he appeared before her, kneeling down until they were nearly level.

His eyes instantly fell to the sizeable gash in her leg as she turned tear-filled eyes up at him. The intensity almost made him take a step back. The only other time he had seen his mate this close to openly bawling, to having a complete meltdown, was after Ichigo's first incursion back into Soul Society, when she had coldly told her brother to leave. The time he had to rescue Szayel from Aizen came in a close second.

Something similarly trauma-inducing had Karin ready to snap, by the way she suddenly flung herself into his arms, not in the least bit disturbed by the fact they were both wearing more ichor than clothing, as his Resurrección really didn't have clothes and hers had been shredded during the battle.

"Karin?" he called, starting to feel a bit of panic himself since his mate was so distraught and something truly awful had to have happened for her to lose her normal control this way.

Slowly, she managed to choke out the whole story while he put direct pressure on the wound to try to slow the bleeding. Grimmjow was impressed with her for taking out the beetle and felt a large swelling of pride. He was even a little bit pleased when he heard of how Ajuga and Diaemus had saved her, although he did share her anxiety over their daughter's safety. Even though he hated following orders himself, he understood how important they were in such a large battle. What little understanding he did feel towards his daughter died when he found out that, against all reason, they'd let Vindula tag along. Vindula was not a hunter and had no weapons with which to defend herself as Ajuga and Diaemus had. He might not have cared in the past what happened to another's cub, but this was Szayel's child, the same Espada who had gone through hell and back for the protection of his own daughter and if Grimmjow was sure of one thing, he knew he paid his debts in kind, whatever form they might take.

"We need to get you to the 4th Division. I will speak to Ajuga about this," he promised.

Karin nodded weakly as he picked her up, mindful of the nasty gash in her leg. She felt she was lucky in that she hadn't lost the entire limb, not to mention the slash missed the main artery. Her body trembled from exhaustion and blood loss and the understandable freak-out from the near carting-off. She was unconscious by the time he got her into the hands of one of Unohana-Taichou's subordinates and set her on a stretcher. With his mate now safe and in the hands of professionals, Grimmjow made for their rooms on the Estate with the intent of finding his child. If he knew his kid, Ajuga would be hiding her reiatsu and the only way to find her when she decided to head completely into the proverbial underbrush was with Karin's sight or with the tracking device in her bracelet. The Sixth kept a locator bracelet in his room for just that purpose.

Reaching the Estate, he went to his dresser and pulled out the tracking device, turning it on. Looking at the beeping icon he sighed, eyes narrowing and walked across the hall to his daughter's room. Once there he glared at the innocent piece of silver sitting on the small desk beside her nest. His daughter was getting too damned clever for her own, and everyone else's, good.

"Maybe I should get Szayel to infest her with some of those bugs of his," he grumbled aloud as Grimmjow started in on what he hoped wouldn't be a fruitless search for his child. He hoped he would find her quickly but he wasn't counting on it.

(POV)

Szayel let out a sigh of relief as the door to his chambers closed behind him. It had been a long day. All he wanted to do was collapse. He needed some shuteye desperately. His children and mate had long since gone to sleep and he looked very much forward to joining Nemu in their large bed.

A slight sniffle caused him to nearly jump out of his skin as he whirled about to face the sound. His Claim on Nemu let him know that she was sound asleep in their bedroom. He knew Abisara and Vindula lay curled up in their beds in their room because he had checked on them, pleased when their redheaded guardian had his Zanpakuto at Szayel's throat before he had touched their door. Renji waited until Szayel was ready to lock his family into their suite for the night before retreating to his own chambers, so he knew his children's nanny hadn't made the noise.

He hadn't even sensed the intruder until that little sniffle gave them away. In fact, he still couldn't sense anything, which meant he had a small list of suspects from which to choose.

He had his suspicions, but he still walked around his couch carefully, one hand on Formicas's hilt and the other ready to draw a Cero. Even though his suspicions were confirmed when he finally caught sight of the interloper, his brain had a hard time registering what his eyes were showing him.

Ajuga sat curled up in the corner between his sofa and the wall, her body shaking as she cried softly. He had heard Karin had been admitted to the 4th Division. Grimmjow had reported as much during the meeting, but he doubted that such an event would have brought about such a reaction as this in Ajuga. Karin was hardly even that badly injured, compared to so many others and her prognosis for a full recovery was excellent.

'_If Ajuga has been here the whole time, no wonder Grimmjow was in such a foul mood during the meeting,__'_ Szayel thought to himself with sudden understanding.

There was no way Grimmjow would have thought to look for his daughter here, and even if he had, there was no way he could have gotten in pass all the security systems, or managed to get past Renji. Hell, Szayel wasn't even sure how Ajuga had weaseled her way into his private chambers unless Nemu had let her in.

Something was clearly bothering the girl and it had to be big for her to have sought refuge here. Perhaps it had to do with what had Vindula so upset. Renji reported to him that his daughter had been red-eyed and subdued when the redhead got back from getting the bug ichor all over himself cleaned off. Her disquiet had lasted well into this evening and she would periodically start crying for no discernible reason. When he'd asked her, she had denied anything was wrong and put on a fake smile for her guardian.

"Ajuga?"

Szayel called her name out softly, not wanting to startle her and get a face full of sharp claws.

Ajuga didn't jump at the sound of his voice, so he suspected that she knew he was there, or at least knew that he had entered the room. She didn't immediately respond to him either. Instead, she curled up farther into the corner. If she retreated any further into it, she'd be inside the wall. Assured that he wasn't going to startle her, he relaxed his defensive stance and called her again, this time louder.

"My dear, while I love my work, I generally do not bring specimens home with me, regardless of the fact that you may be my favourite."

She finally looked over her shoulder at him, her bright blue eyes watery and held a look of such dismay and unbearable grief that, for a brief moment, he almost thought that someone had died, maybe even Karin. No, if Karin was dead Grimmjow would have made a much bigger racket at the meeting and Szayel certainly would have known about it. Perhaps a friend had perished, one he didn't know about. He was positive that he would have known if Hana had died and made a note to go over the casualty roster if he couldn't pry an answer out of her.

"Ajuga, might I inquire as to why you're soaking my carpet?"

He tried to convey as much concern as he could, while wondering if the combination of tears and bug ichor might permanently stain the upholstery of his pristine white couches and carpet.

"Mama doesn't love me," she sobbed.

'_Where in the Realms did that come from,__'_he couldn't help but to wonder in shock.

"And you probably hate me now too…" she added with a hiccup.

"Wherever did you ever get the idea that I hate you?"

Now this was unexpected.

"I thought you loved being my 'Favourite Experiment'."

"I do," she sniffed.

"Hmm. Ajuga, why don't you come out of there and put on a pot of tea while I take a quick shower. Try to calm yourself and once I am back to my immaculate glory, we will sit down and you can tell me why you think your mother and I suddenly hate you."

She nodded reluctantly and slowly uncurled herself from the corner. Szayel watched her disappear into the kitchenette before he walked into his bedroom to procure something clean to wear. His next stop involved a hot spray of water and plenty of soap, which gave him time to consider his options. Contacting Grimmjow to let him know his daughter's location seemed like the most reasonable course of action. Szayel was positive he now knew what had the Sexta's tail in a knot during the meeting, but he decided that calming Ajuga down and working out the girl's issues before tossing her stressed out, volatile father into the mix was a smarter idea. Karin was a far better mediator than he was. Without her here, things might escalate and he simply didn't have the energy to cope with all of that this late at night.

By the time he'd managed a quick scrubbing and emerged in a clean dressing gown, Ajuga was just setting the teapot down on the coffee table in front of the couch. She sat dejectedly on the side closest to the wall, leaving him his usual spot. The girl looked like she had managed to get her grief under control, but she would need a shower too, and his furniture would need a thorough cleaning. She'd clearly come here straight from the battlefield, if what was drying in her fur was any indication of where she'd been prior to hiding in his living quarters.

'_At least she__'__s calmer now,__'_he thought positively.

He took his cup of tea and sipped it, watching as Ajuga did the same. When they were on their way to a third cup, she finally spoke, just as he knew she would.

"Mama hates me," she murmured.

"So you said. I say 'poppycock' to that. You and I both know that Karin-sama loves you very much."

"Then why do I keep getting stupid missions away from the front lines?" Ajuga demanded. "It's like she doesn't think I am strong enough to fight with the others now. I am not a stupid little cub anymore! I am stronger than a dozen Rukongai regiments, and yet I always get stuck sitting outside your door staring at the clouds while they get to engage the Swarm!" Ajuga seethed, lurching to her feet and pacing angrily, her tail lashing behind her.

'_Ah, so this is all about her pride. She__'__s so much like her father,__'_Szayel couldn't help but to think.

He couldn't reveal to her the main reason for Karin taking an overprotective stance towards her daughter, namely her bloodline, but he could give her other valid reasons that should at least make Ajuga feel less 'disrespected'.

"Ajuga, have you ever thought that it is _because_ your mother trusts you to be that strong that she assigned you and Diaemus to guard this particular building?"

"How do you come to that conclusion?" She whirled to face him as she said this, staring at him in disbelief.

Szayel took another sip of tea and sat back, giving her what he hoped was a challenging enough look. He might be her mother's 'pet,' but he was still an Espada and he _would_ get through to her.

"Ponder this for a moment. As you know, we have Specimen S4-01, also known as 'Mushi' thanks to your mother, a Portal Scarab, stashed in the basement of this facility. We have not yet determined the range of the Swarm's ability to communicate with one another."

To make his point, the Seventh set his teacup down and steepled his fingers together, looking intently at her over them with tired golden eyes.

"What would happen if Mushi telepathically sent a message about his location to the Swarm? What might occur here if they tried to break him out?"

"Could they?" Ajuga challenged, but he could tell she was at least mulling over the idea.

"The acid from Specimens S2 would easily chew through my defences. The servants in my building are not warriors. They are researchers and scientists, Kido specialists and other assorted data jockeys. We do know the Portal Scarabs are the ones bringing in the Swarm, but how do they get here? What if a group slipped around and came at us from the rear and brought a second Portal Scarab, creating a matched set and the two of them opened a portal directly into the city?"

He could tell that Ajuga was really thinking about it now. Her tail was still switching, but not as violently as it had been and she wasn't pacing like a caged tiger.

"So you are saying that Mama is ordering Diaemus-kun and I to guard the back lines because she think we can hold them long enough for a warning to get off?"

'_Finally, she begins to understand.__'_

"I believe that is one of many reasons. Try to think as a commander would. Where would you put your resources, if you were your mother? As you pointed out, you are far stronger than several of the Rukongai militias. You are faster and able to patrol a far larger area. Between yourself and Diaemus, your airborne counterpart, the two of you are a far better and more effective set of eyes and ears as far as keeping this facility intact. In addition, having two that can hold an entire sector is far more efficient than sending several regiments to do the same thing."

Ajuga sat down once more and took a sip of her tea. Szayel could tell that the idea was truly starting to work its way into her brain. He understood Karin's fear of course, but he also understood Ajuga's need to prove herself.

"I would also have you consider this bit of information. If the Science Division falls to the Swarm or any other form of sabotage, the entire control center for the battle lines and warning systems goes with it and while I can, in time, replace components of the Net, replacing this facility would be almost impossible."

Ajuga's eyes opened a little wider as she clasped her cup of tea and he hoped the girl understood he was being sincere about protecting this Division.

He would have to suggest that Karin let them participate in battles on occasion, maybe call them off their guard duty near the end so they could help with the clean up when the danger was at the lowest. They needed to make the two feel as if they contributed something to the fight and not treat them like newborn cubs. Otherwise, they'd feel shafted. Ajuga was getting to the age where she would be ready to leave the den and Karin wouldn't be able to protect her daughter so easily after that.

"Now that I know why you think Karin-sama hates you, what makes you think that I would hate you?"

Her entire posture dropped again and she looked positively dismal.

"Vindula-chan followed Diaemus and me out onto the battlefield," she confessed meekly.

His first reaction involved fear and anger in equal measures, but he quickly clamped it down. At least he now knew why his daughter had been acting strangely earlier.

"Followed?"

His daughter had a weakness for all things she deemed pretty and he could see how the flashes of Kido from the battle, at a distance, might be tempting.

"We didn't mean for her to come with us onto the actual battlefield, and I don't think she intended to follow us that far, but when the Swarm went after Mama like that, someone had to tend to Mama's leg while Diaemus and I defended her. Since we couldn't treat her leg and fight at the same time, we sort of, well… we took Vindula with us," Ajuga finished, her voice pitched low enough to qualify as muttering. "I carried her and we made sure she was safe. We brought Mama to her and we didn't take Vindula far past the back lines. The Swarm wasn't even fighting anymore and they were milling about in confusion, as they always do. We never would have brought her in if we thought it was unsafe!"

Szayel found himself torn between being proud of his daughter for braving such a frightening situation to try and tend to Karin's leg while the other part wanted to drown Ajuga in a tub of acid for putting his child in harm's way.

'_Hypocrite_!' he scolded himself, resting his head on the back of the sofa and looking at the ceiling. '_It__'__s all fine and dandy when the cub isn__'__t your own, but as soon as it__'__s your daughter in the middle of all that madness, you get territorial and protective. Nevertheless, Vindula is far too young to engage in this sort of thing. She doesn__'__t have the defences the older cubs have. She is so childlike and curious. She would stop to look at a flower and give one of those damn Locusts a chance to bite her head off.__'_

The argument went back and forth in his head for bit before he realized that Ajuga was looking up at him brokenly, clearly still expecting a response from him over what had happened.

"While I am upset at you for bringing Vindula into a situation she's unprepared for… yet… I do appreciate your honesty, Ajuga. Nothing happened this time. I trust you have learned your lesson and it will not happen again. Right?" he demanded sternly.

Ajuga nodded her head.

"So, you don't hate me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh I am _incredibly _angry and somewhat disappointed in you, and probably will be for a few days, but I don't hate you," he assured her. "Hate is such a strong word, after all."

That seemed to perk her up a bit.

"Now, why don't you get on home? Your father is probably tearing his fur out in large handfuls right now, what with your mother at the 4th Division with a sliced up leg and his daughter missing."

"You are probably right," she agreed, shoulders still drooping a little. "Do you think he is going to be mad at me?" she asked hesitantly.

"Oh yes… he'll be frothing at the mouth, actually," Szayel replied. "But, the sooner you take your lumps, the sooner they will mend and go away."

"I hate taking lumps," she grouched.

"We all do," he agreed, sending her a smile. "I fear adulthood has more than its share of lumps. Best get used to it."

Ajuga looked down into her cup for a few more seconds, before draining it and putting it down on the table next to the now-empty teapot.

"Alright."

She stood up and stretched, looking far better than the trembling mess he had found behind his sofa.

"Thank you Szay. Good night," she bade him as she made for the door.

"Good night Ajuga," he returned.

The door clicked behind her and he rose to lock it before tiredly retreating to his bedroom. He turned out the light and undid his dressing gown, hanging it on a hook and then crawling under the covers to join his mate. The bed was already nice and warm and after the long, gruelling day he'd had, sleep wasn't far off in coming.

'_I must remember to talk to Vindula and remind her that the pretty things are often the most dangerous,__'_ he thought sleepily before he drifted off.

* * *

Poor Ajuga-chan, getting into trouble all the time. Kids have a tendency to do that. Poor Karin, almost taken and than her daughter practically throws herself in harms way. I know I would be a mental wreak. Thank you all so much for your reviews.

Caius Ballad: The real planning for insurrection is coming, and I am definitely pleased my writing can invoke such powerful responses in my readers. Orihime is the very forgiving type and no one else would have worked out the way those two day. Their relationship was honestly born because I was sick of reading the two just falling in love and Ulquiorra just getting a heart out of the blue. He really lacks an understanding of human emotions and I wanted to explore the darker aspects with him instead of turning him into her loyal lap dog right off the bat(no pun intended), as I see far too frequently in fanfiction.

Out of curiosity, how would you have Karin and the other helps those without getting into trouble for interfering with Claiming right? She already helped Byakuya by begging Aizen to let the Nobel help her, getting him back into Shinigami duties and granting him hours of daily freedom from Yammy's attention.

Tons of fun: from my understanding her arm was replaced, not healed like Grimmjow's was.

Demoncat: no

: hollows killed by a Shinigami's blade do get cleansed and move to Soul Society, supposedly. Unless they were evil in their human life, then they go to hell. Menos Grande and up are made of hundreds, if not thousands, of souls. When cleansed, I believe the souls would ALL be scattered and sent on. While one soul may be dominate, the rest would still have influences. They would no longer be the same person, and definitely no longer have the same powers. Kubo still hasn't shown us what actually happens to cleansed Arrancar souls.

Next Chapter: Hana frets over Ajuga's secret, and decides to recruit some help in keeping Ajuga's blood out of the Swarm's mouths.

This Weeks Question: other than the obvious Aizen/Yammy/Barragan's deaths, what is one thing you really hope to see/will happen, in POV2?


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